Twice Burned
by strange1
Summary: <html><head></head>Sequel to 'Once Burned'. It's four months later. Things are not going well for Kathy and Candy. Not only are they facing the consequences of the accident, there are new/old threats to their happiness. Will their love see them through? Or will they be too badly burned</html>
1. Chapter 1

Sweat glistened from the bronze face. The petite blonde watched as the raven-haired woman continued to attempt to walk using the parallel bars for support. There was nothing to help support her weight other than her arms. At first they had been told it would only be a matter of a few weeks before feeling returned in the legs. Then it changed to a month or two. Now it was four months later and Kathy Scolari still could not feel anything below the waist.

That wasn't exactly true as she could, if she wanted to, make love. But the former firefighter was pushing everyone away. To the horror of her girlfriend, Kathy would not allow even a gentle caress of an arm in comfort. Candy closed her eyes thinking it should be her that didn't relish touch. After all, it had been the bookstore owner who had nearly been raped just over four months ago. It had been enough to cause her to avoid intimacy.

Candy wished they could go back. She wished that devastating night before Valentine's Day had played out differently. Could the petite blonde have been more forceful in getting her girlfriend to remain at her side? After all, they had just gone through a terrible ordeal with the bookstore owner's ex having come after her. Kathy had managed to fight the woman off, only to be arrested by a crooked detective. It had brought out so many hurts together.

So why would Candy allow her girlfriend to rush off to fight a fire? Because that's what Kathy did. Having faced a tragedy involving fire in her past, the firefighter had one solace in her life. The raven-haired woman simply wanted to do what she couldn't do all those years ago. She wanted to save her little brother. Since that wasn't possible, she had continued to help rescue other people's loved ones, living a life devoid of emotions, with the lone exception of her niece and nephew.

Even that had changed now. Kathy barely even acknowledged anyone in her life. Candy watched as the firefighter collapsed. The quick reflexes of her physical therapist and his assistant kept her from falling. Of course the harness to keep her upright also helped. Their eyes met for a moment. Before she even spoke the words, the petite blond could hear the words. "Why don't you go back to the store. At least there you might be able to help someone."

The words stung every time the raven-haired woman spoke them. And yet, Candy kept coming every day. Every day she would take whatever insult her girlfriend would hurl at her. She would fight tooth and nail to get her to come home to their apartment on the second floor above the bookstore and café she owned. The petite blonde had installed one of those chair lifts, which Kathy hated to use. For some reason she did use it.

Maybe it was the part of Kathy that remembered her life four months ago. A life when everything was not perfect, but they had one another. Now they barely had that. They still ate together, spent time together and even slept in the same bed. Beyond that, there was hardly anything between them. The words were hard to come by. So few spoken and yet had so much meaning when they were. Like what the ex-firefighter had just said.

In the raven-haired woman's mind, there was no helping her. The only people she responded to were her doctors and her therapists. Candy knew the only reason she responded to them was because they gave her some hope. They were able to help her even if it was from a minute standpoint. What could the petite blonde offer her? A shoulder to cry on and unconditional love. Kathy was not ready for either. She had yet to cry. She had yet to reach out. She simply existed once again.

"Kathy, I'm here until you are ready to go home. Aunt Irene is watching the store. Not to mention the other managers can handle things nicely. Even Sam is back to work, if only part-time." Candy had been touched when her aunt and uncle had decided to settle in Albany once again. In fact, they had taken over the apartment the petite blonde had initially remodeled for her soulmate, only to have them decide to move in together. Her best friend was a different story.

Candy knew something had happened to Sam, more than she had told everyone. The way she acted around her girlfriend, she could see it in her eyes and the way they rarely touched. Her best friend was a touchy feely kind of woman. When the sandy blonde had still been in love with her, she'd used any excuse to touch the bookstore owner. That had slowly tapered off at the acceptance of her relationship with Kathy. Still, there had always been a hug when they saw one another.

The petite blonde closed her eyes when she heard the growl escape her firefighter. No matter if Kathy was now retired from doing what she loved, to her she would always be her firefighter. That was another discussion they'd had over the past few months. The raven-haired woman had, just before the accident, thought about retiring. There was the possibility of learning how to run the business. It was still Candy's dream to do that. She just had to wait patiently for her soulmate to accept it once again.

Emerald eyes opened when she heard the voice of Mr. Montgomery. There was no way Candy could call him Elvis, at least and not remain professional. Luckily he had understood. "We'll just help her get cleaned up and changed for the road. A hot one today, so I'd say shorts." Another growl escaped the raven-haired woman. A petite hand was on her shoulder. Luckily the shoulder didn't tense, at least not this time.

"It is hot, but my firefighter…" The growl caused the petite blonde to jump. As if it had never happened, she quickly placed her hand back on her shoulder, giving it a gentle squeeze. "She prefers to dress a certain way all year round." In fact, Kathy had given up the black jeans she had eased into and was back to black leather jacket, black leather pants and a black A-shirt underneath. "Here." Candy handed the duffle bag she always had prepared to the therapist. "Or if you want, we can get you cleaned up at home."

Kathy's lips actually twitched. It was another huge remodel that her father had overseen. Since Candy owned the building, she could do what she wanted. They had expanded the small bathroom, making it friendly to someone who was paralyzed. It was one of the few things the firefighter had not argued about. The bookstore owner wondered why when she'd caught normally sky blue eyes almost purple with desire.

It had at least given the petite blonde hope for the two of them. Their eyes met. Candy gave a shy smile. There was still hope for them. She knew there was no giving up on their relationship. It was little looks and the twitching of lips she knew. Kathy was fighting an eternal battle, hating herself at the moment. Never had she been so dependent on anyone. Since she was eight years old and lost her brother, she had basically taken care of herself.

Sure her mother had custody of her as her parents had shortly divorced after the fire that claimed their youngest child's life. Franny Scolari had become an alcoholic and used her children for sympathy. The matriarch had attempted to control Kathy. But the woman was devoid of emotions and there was no controlling her. That was the most difficult lesson Candy had to relearn. Even though her soulmate might be helpless at times, she needed to ask for help on her terms.

"Take me home." Candy melted at the sultry sound of her firefighter's voice. Though she knew nothing like making love was even close to a possibility, just to have Kathy speak in such a tone made her knees weak. The petite blonde waited until the raven-haired woman was seated in her wheelchair once again before nodding to the therapist and his assistant. The sweats and T-shirt being worn by her soulmate were soaked with sweat but with the heat of June in the south, it would hardly be noticeable.

"With pleasure." The petite blonde took over steering the wheelchair throughout the hospital. The humid air hit them as soon as they were in the sun filled day. It was bright. Without a word, Candy handed her firefighter her trademark sunglasses. Those too had made a comeback. The bookstore owner didn't mind the resurgence of the clothes and sunglasses. If she were to admit it to herself, that was part of her what had physically attracted her to the tall beautiful woman.

Their attraction wasn't just physical. Even before she had met Kathy in person, outside of being rescued from a fire one day, there was a pull between them. At times it was as if they could sense the others presence before they actually saw them. There were numerous examples of simply being drawn to one another from the firefighter being drawn to her store to Candy on the sidewalk sensing her before she rode by on her motorcycle.

As Candy got the taller woman situated in the Jeep Liberty she had purchased just for her soulmate, she thought about the motorcycle in storage. Every so often Kathy's father would take it out for a short run and make sure it was in perfect running condition. The raven-haired woman wouldn't even go near it. In fact, a pained expression was on her face whenever she saw the tarp covered shape in the garage. The petite blonde had suggested storage elsewhere but had only gotten a deep growl in response.

The wheelchair was placed in the back seat behind the firefighter for easy reach. Candy was instantly in the driver's seat. "So, you hungry after working out so much?" A shrug was her only response. It was what she was used to. One or two word responses, if she got one at all. Green eyes closed once again, praying for patience. "Well if you can hold off, I'll make my special baked spaghetti, along with a salad. And maybe if you're good, molten lava cake for dessert?"

The engine was running, allowing the stifling heat of the interior of the vehicle to cool slightly. Just for a moment, there was a twinkle in sapphire eyes. It was enough of an answer. Candy slowly made her way through the crowded parking lot before pulling into traffic. Her mind drifted for a moment, wondering how Franny was doing. Because of Kathy's mother's drinking, she'd gotten into a horrible car accident the firefighter happened to be on scene and help with the rescue.

Was it foreshadowing to what would happen to her firefighter? Candy sighed as she drove carefully. Always having been a defensive driver, things had been different ever since Kathy had gotten hurt. In fact, everything had changed. When she glanced over, having felt the intense gaze of her girlfriend, she realized there was one thing that had never changed. The bookstore owner just wondered how long it would be before that one thing could be acted upon.

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The ringing of the bell caused Justin Scolari to groan. His mother Franny had taken him up on his offer to help in her recovery. Of course, she had managed to talk him into moving into the house with them until she was fully healed. According to her last doctor appointment, she was healthy enough to live on her own. Yet she was here and ringing the blasted bell yet again. At that moment, he was glad there was no alcohol in the house.

The sandy blond made his way to the second floor of his home. He casually leaned against the doorframe, watching as his mother once again picked up the bell. When their eyes met, he expected her to be embarrassed. Instead she simply turned her attention back to the television. "About time you responded. I could have been in serious pain. Would you be a dear and get me something to eat. I know dinner is in a few hours but I need something light to tide me over because of the pills."

Justin wanted to roll his eyes. He wanted to do more than that. His mother was still in a hospital bed when the only thing wrong with her now was a limp that would be pronounced the rest of her life. He wished he had half of his sister's courage. Before Kathy was injured, she'd turned her back on their mother because she would not accept her relationship with another woman. After hearing of the accident, Franny had the nerve to say it was God punishing her.

The business owner had warned his mother never to say anything like that, especially in front of his children. His five year old son and eight year old daughter were quite impressionable. After years of his own bigotry toward his sister, they didn't need their grandmother poisoning them against her. While he was a Christian, he believed in a loving forgiving God that created everyone equal. At least he did when he had stopped listening to his mother and looked into his own heart.

"I'll get you a sandwich." Justin waited to see if there would be endless instructions. Even helping her get out of bed to use the restroom led to endless list of how exactly to go about it. When it was clear she was choosing to ignore him, he made his way down the stairs. Amy was taking care of the children while he had been attempting to do some of the bookwork for his brewery at home. With his mother's interruption every five minutes, he'd gotten little work done.

Kevin was coloring at the kitchen table while Christine was practicing her sewing. He was proud his little girl wanted to learn how to make her own clothes. Not because he wanted her to be a girlie girl, but because she seemed to have a real interest in designing clothes. While it was a very competitive field, he just wanted his daughter to be happy in life. And if either of his children came to him and told him they were gay, he would love them no less.

"Let me guess, she wants a snack?" Amy was already in the process of making dinner. Justin simply nodded his head. "I'll make the sandwich. You color with your son." A sandy blond eyebrow rose. "You need a break from your mother." She said it so quietly even her husband had difficulty hearing. She wiped her hands on the dish towel before setting out to make a sandwich, making sure the crusts were cut off.

"Thank you." Justin rubbed his stubble covered chin. Though he had shaved that morning, his stubble was more pronounced than normal. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath before picking up a crayon to help his son. He was waiting for the question asked at least once a day by either his daughter or his son. The two were quite attached to their Aunt Kathy. Ever since her accident, they had not been in her life as much.

In a way, he understood. Kathy was strong, stubborn and proud. It seemed to run in the family. His father was more down to earth, still going out with his men on occasion. The owner of his own construction company, Eddie Scolari loved to get dirty and sweaty. Justin had thought about running the business one day but he was not fond of the physical labor. Not that he was lazy by any means, he just hated working in the weather outside.

Little Kevin found his voice first. Not missing a beat while coloring, he asked the question for both he and his sister. "Is Auntie Kathy feeling better?" Justin was always at a loss as what to say. Physically his sister was healthy, outside of the fact her back was taking longer to heal then the doctors had anticipated. Mentally was the issue with his younger sibling. And who could blame her? The prospect of being stuck in the wheelchair the rest of her life still loomed larger than life.

"She's just tired." It was a poor excuse to keep his children away from their aunt. It wasn't because he was ashamed of her anymore. In fact, he was proud of her. While not being injured putting out a fire, she had been attempting to save lives when her taxi had been hit by a man who had fallen asleep at the wheel. With money so tight, the exhausted man had worked three straight weeks of double shifts. As she was checking on him, she had been hit by a car.

"Oh." The crayon in Kevin's hand never ceased. It was as if he suspected the answer and probably had. Justin made a mental note to call or text Candy to see if there was a chance they could get together. The children needed to see their aunt. Deep down, he knew Kathy needed them. What she needed and what she would admit to needing were two different things. He ruffled his son's hair before resuming his own coloring.

Amy was mumbling under her breath. Justin felt bad. He knew he should have been the one to take the sandwich to his mother. Actually what needed to be done was convince her she was healthy enough to live on her own. He was sure what his wife felt, but he could not shake the feeling of being a prisoner in his own home. At least he got a break from time to time. The brewery was his place of escape and his place of temptation.

The thought reminded him. He stood and made his way to his wife. Amy leaned into him as he wrapped his arms around her from behind. For a moment he leaned his head on his wife's head. "I hope dinner doesn't get cold, but I have a meeting to go to." The brown-haired woman turned in his arms. She reached up and gave him a gentle kiss. "Still quite a ways to go with probation." Sadly Justin had damaged Candy's apartment while a drinker and hating his sister. He was still making amends.

"Go." Another kiss. "I can hold dinner off for quite some time. This is much more important." Amy patted him on the butt as he moved away. She sighed contentedly. Though there was much turmoil in their lives because of Franny and Kathy's injuries, she was glad to have the man she had fallen in love with back. It had taken seeing what he could become when his mother had her accident. In a way, all the grief her mother-in-law gave her made it worth it. Almost.

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Crystal wiped the sweat from her forehead. Part of her hated where she was and what she was doing. Another part knew she was lucky she wasn't rotting in jail. Trying to break up her sister and her girlfriend were one thing. Unwittingly, she had brought in a professional assassin. About the only defense she had was, she hadn't known. All she did know was Jade was Candy's ex-girlfriend. Luckily the crazed woman was now residing in a federal prison with no chance of parole.

The steam from the serving trays, along with the stifling heat outside, were causing the young woman to sweat profusely. The overhead rickety ceiling fans barely made a dent. But she was here to help serve dinner to those that could not afford it until the food was gone. Some nights it went quickly. Other nights, it would be a couple hours. Either way, the time spent here in the shelter counted towards her community service hours.

The one thing that kept her going was the fact she would be able to see Josh hopefully soon. The two had kept their distance at first. About a month ago, the very shy young man had texted her, asking her on a second date. Their first had been memorable as he had passed out at her shameless flirting and innuendo. It wasn't much later and she was being arrested, not only involving Jade in their lives, but also for embezzling money from her father's place of employment and her sister's business.

The smile on Crystal's face was forced. It was not because she hated being here. In fact, it had taught her some valuable lessons. All the people taking charity hated it. There were hardly any here that would not rather be working. The economy had seen to a lot of jobs being lost or outsourced to other countries. Even farmers were forced to give up their huge farms because they could not afford the required irrigation systems.

Crystal shook her head as she placed a generation portion of fruit salad on the young girl's plate. Her heart broke when she peered into those innocent eyes. Were her eyes ever that innocent? The brown-haired woman smirked. Even she knew the answer to that. It was Candy that had taken after their aptly named mother Angel. While not a saint, her sister was a good person who she had been jealous of all of her life.

The rest of her time went quickly and smoothly. The first thing Crystal wanted to do was go home and take a shower. There wasn't much to her home. With being on probation and having to work so many hours of community service, the young woman could only find a minimum wage job, working at one the huge chain stores. In fact, she had to live with three others just to make ends meet. She was assigned one of the women. A man and woman couple made up the other two roommates.

The smell of marijuana permeated the apartment as soon as she entered. With the random drug tests she endured, she hoped the second hand smoke wouldn't affect her. Crystal was always on the lookout for a better place to stay. But she wasn't about to hold her breath. Maybe until she opened a window. So much for air conditioning, at least until the idiots were done getting high. She stripped her clothes and made it to the shower.

As the cold water streamed down on her, she thought. There was no real turning point in her life. It was as if she was born to be this way. Be jealous of her big sister and always covet what she had. Even with Candy struggling with her girlfriend's injury, she at least had a family and made a good living. Crystal sighed heavily. She could give Jason a call. But she was intent on letting him set the pace. After all it had to be difficult to date someone with a troubling past.

After getting dressed, she made her way into the living room. Luckily it was quiet. At least it was until there was a soft knock on the door. Crystal knew she was the only one conscious enough to answer the door so she dragged her tired body to the door. The thought of working overnight caused her to groan. The sight of a dozen pink roses caused her energy to come back in full force. "Thank you." She managed to dig up change for a tip.

Quickly, she made her way back into the dingy living room. She sat the beautiful bouquet on the coffee table and removed the card. Her heart soared when she saw it was indeed from Josh. He wasn't rich so springing for a dozen roses meant a lot to the brown-haired woman. Crystal could not help the smile that was on her face. Suddenly working into the wee hours of the morning no longer felt like the chore that it had just a few minutes prior.

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Candy pulled into the small garage area behind the store that also housed their apartment on the second floor. Along with Aunt Irene and her husband Max, the petite blonde's two best friends a gay couple also resided there. Rich and Randy lived busy lives. At least they had until just before Kathy's accident. They had been there more for the bookstore owner. In fact, they were the ones that walked the firefighter's Dalmatian.

"Hey boys!" Candy waved at them. They appeared to have just gotten back from walking Rocket. Kathy was settled in the wheelchair and they were headed towards the back entrance which was now very secure. Too many people had broken the glass or gained access for the petite blonde not to upgrade the security. The Dalmatian got away from the boys and tackled the firefighter, nearly knocking her out of her chair.

The petite blond closed her eyes realizing just how tired her girlfriend was. Even since her accident, the one joy Kathy had was lying on the floor and roughhousing with the puppy. Well, he wasn't exactly a puppy anymore. Rocket was now over one but was still as energetic as ever. "Sorry about that." Rich's deep voice was full of regret. There was a hint of a smile on the firefighter's face. It was rare causing him to smile as well.

"We'll take it from here boys. Thanks, as always, for watching Rocket." Candy watched as her girlfriend wrapped her arms securely around their dog. Rocket brought out the emotions in the firefighter. Even if it was for a brief moment or two, she was glad for the puppy being in their lives. There was something else in the back of her mind. Before Kathy had opened up, she had visited her brother at his grave. Would that help now?

They exchanged pleasantries as Candy wheeled her lover into the apartment. Part of her wanted to check on the business. As much as she trusted her employees, there would always be that part that wanted to check to make sure it was running smoothly. Right now she had something very important to do. She needed to take care of Kathy and make dinner before sneaking back downstairs to help with closing.

Now for the fun part as Kathy always got dejected once she was strapped into the chair that would lift her to their apartment. Candy followed with the wheelchair. Rocket, as always, was leading the way. He made his way over to where they kept the treats. The petite blonde laughed at his antics. Even the firefighter smiled briefly after resuming her place in her mode of transportation. She wheeled over to the cupboard and gave her child the treat he was waiting form

"Let me get dinner and dessert started." Candy watched for a moment as Rocket loved on his favorite owner. "Then we can both get clean." Suddenly not so sure of herself, the bookstore quickly added, "That is if it's all right with you." Her nerves couldn't hold and she made her way into the kitchen, beginning the process of making one of their favorite meals. A single tear escaped and she quickly wiped it away in hopes Kathy would not see it.

The slight bumping from behind told her she hadn't been fast enough. Candy quickly turned off the burners and let herself fall gently into the lap of her firefighter. Sadly, there was still a slight pang of wanting to pull away. Another curse Jade had inflicted on them when she nearly raped the bookstore owner. But her hero had showed up. It was the second time Kathy had saved the petite blonde's life and this time saved her from something horrible.

"You can cry." The words were but a whisper. Candy was surprised to hear her girlfriend say them. She wanted to tell Kathy she could cry too. But she wouldn't be ready for that. There were only a couple of times her firefighter had managed to cry. When she did, things would begin to return to normal. Until then, it was going to be the bookstore owner that was going to be the one who shed tears. It was almost too much everything they'd gone through. "Or we can…"

Candy wanted to scream. She wanted to cry. But if what she thought Kathy was suggesting was true, she would probably do both. The only response she could muster was a tentative nod of her head. The wheelchair moved at such a slow and deliberate pace, the petite blonde wondered if her firefighter was having second thoughts. If she was, that would be all right. The only thing that mattered was they remained together.

The physical side of their relationship was not as important as just remaining together. The door was nudged opened and closed to keep Rocket from joining them. They'd learned the hard way that the puppy loved the large bathtub so much so that he had practically drowned the firefighter. Candy stood once they got close to the bathtub. Her green eyes were questioning blue ones. Usually at this point she would undress Kathy and help her into the water.

Before Kathy could say a word, the petite blonde knelt down in front of her and took both strong calloused hands in her own. "I've missed being with you." Blue eyes closed and it was apparent she swallowed hard. "I'll admit I'm still having slight issues because of Jade." Blue eyes flew open. "The only thing right now at this moment I'm afraid of is you want to make love because you saw how sad I am. But I'm not sad."

A dark eyebrow rose in question. Candy internally sighed at just how quiet her firefighter had become once again. "Don't get me wrong, I'm not thrilled to see you struggle or for us to not be as close as we were only four short months ago." There was a gentle squeezing of her hands. It was enough to encourage her to continue. "Would I love to reconnect with you physically? More than I can put into words. But if emotionally you're not ready…"

Once again Candy felt the pressure. When she tried to look Kathy in the eyes, she found them closed. The petite blonde waited patiently for her lover to gather her thoughts. As emotional as this was for the bookstore owner, it had to be doubly for her firefighter. Blue eyes were full of tears when they finally opened. It hit Candy in the heart when she took in the pain. What shook her to the core even more was the fear she saw there.

"Oh my sweet Kathy." Once again, Candy climbed into the lap of her lover. Kathy buried her head in the chest of the petite blonde. Emerald eyes closed. She had been terrified this kind of intimate contact would be too much for her. If anything, it was starting her heart to racing. The bookstore owner shoved those thoughts away and forced her body to stop reacting. It wasn't easy, but it had to be done. The only thing that mattered was allowing the emotional release so desperately needed.

Once again Candy was reminded of how unready both of them were for the physical act of love. It didn't mean they couldn't touch or kiss. But to give into passion at this moment would be stupid. "Let it out. Please." Kathy now buried her head in the petite blonde's neck. The body she held tightly was shaking. They sat like that for about twenty minutes before the tears finally ceased. The bookstore owner cupped both of her firefighter's cheeks.

"My firefighter…" When Kathy would have turned away, Candy held her face firmly in her hands. "No. I know your career is most likely over but you'll always be my hero. You'll always be my firefighter. Just listen to me please." Finally the pressure ceased and the bookstore owner rubbed both cheeks with her thumb. "While I still find you the sexiest woman on earth, right now we need to take things slow. We need to get our minds and hearts healed. OK?"

Kathy took a deep breath, attempting to steady her breathing as well as steady her racing heart. The firefighter was, as what seemed like always lately, at a loss for words. In this case, Candy had said it all and she had said it with the heart of a poet. The raven-haired woman simply nodded. It earned her a slow tender kiss. Just a little bit more pressure or a slip of the tongue and it could have ignited the passion that always lay just below the surface.

Finally the kiss ended and it was time to get cleaned. Kathy, though still hating her near helplessness, allowed herself to be undressed. The firefighter was surprised when Candy also shed her clothes. The firefighter was lifted in the bathtub by the specially designed chair. Once in the tub, she was able to move to the opposite side. Her sapphire eyes took in what was hers as the petite blonde carefully joined her.

They spent a long time simply sitting next to each other. Candy absently had her hand on Kathy's thigh, both wishing the firefighter could actually feel the gentle touch. After helping one another to bathe, the petite blonde leaned her head on her lover's shoulder. Thoughts of when they first met flashed in her mind. It was just like back then in the sense that the bookstore owner would wait a lifetime, maybe even eternity to make love to her gentle soulmate.

After a while, hunger got them both out of the tub. Once again, Candy helped her firefighter to get dressed and back in her wheelchair. It was an hour later when the petite blonde was cleaning away the dishes. She stood at the counter as she drizzled extra chocolate on their dessert. Another memory flashed in her mind. Though at the time, Kathy had not known it, it was the most sensual thing the bookstore owner had ever experienced.

Once again they sat next to each other at the counter. As if reading her mind, Kathy picked up a single fork. She portioned a small bite and offered it to her Sweet Candy. They had been through so much in their short time together. They had gone from strangers, to friends and to lovers in what seemed like a blink of the eye. And yet, they shared something so much deeper than most people were able ever to in a lifetime.

As Kathy watched emerald eyes closed, she knew deep down it was the little things like this that would get them through. Still naïve to life and inexperienced in any kind of relationship, she somehow just knew when it came to her Sweet Candy. From the first moment she had held her in her arms as she made her way out of the burning building, the firefighter had simply known. Known that she had met the other half of her soul.

Known that she had finally found the one thing she had been searching for all of her life. Kathy sighed as she took the bite offered to her by her girlfriend. It truly was these simple moments in life that she knew they would be forever. Her mind suddenly raced at the thought. At that moment, she decided that once she regained the use of her legs, she would propose to her soulmate. Mentally she shook her head as she realized something.

It was something she hated to admit but a very real possibility. So a new vow was made. Regardless of where they were or what they were doing, in six months' time she would propose to her Sweet Candy. A smile was on her face. The petite blonde tilted her head and an eyebrow rose in question. "Someday." The smile on the firefighter's face grew. It was matched by the one on her girlfriend's face. It was a promise of things to come, both knew without a doubt.

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Former Detective Elizabeth Howers scowled as she peered up into the apartment. "You really should get blinds or something." It was easy to see in the apartment with the special issue binoculars she had purchased. Purchased wasn't the right word. In the four months since she had been disgraced and fired from the police department, she had made a lot of connections on the street. There had always been connections to the underworld. Now she was the underworld.

In the former detective's mind, it was Candy's doing. Elizabeth had simply been paving the way for a chance between her and the petite blonde. For some reason, Kathy was the most important thing in her world. It would be both of their undoing. If they thought her excessive police record was bad, they hadn't seen anything yet. There were people Howers knew. There were people that owed her a lot of favors when she in the past made evidence disappear.

In her mind, she had never been a dirty cop. in her mind, she had been building relationships so that she could get the bigger fish and make a bigger name for herself as a detective. So much had changed in the past four months. Elizabeth had given up her apartment and gone underground. Literally she had found a place that was hidden beneath the overheated city. Only a select few knew of the entrance. Her place was quite secured.

Unlike Candy's place. True,she had security cameras in place. True she had security codes necessary to enter any of the points of entrances. But during the day was when she and her girlfriend were vulnerable. All she needed was to hire the right person who wasn't afraid of doing jail time. Send them in with a special package. Or maybe make it look like a robbery gone bad. There were so many scenarios going through the sick twisted woman's mind.

In fact, she picked up her cell phone and dialed the number by heart. She waited patiently for an answer, knowing it was early for the man where he was. "Favor. Albany, Georgia. Yes US." Elizabeth laughed at the growl the thickly accented man let out. "You owe me or you wouldn't be roaming free." She listened for a moment longer. "That's perfect. I'll be waiting. So will your new clients." Quickly, she disconnected the call, always worried of ears listening even by accident.

Elizabeth growled when she saw her targets were headed toward the bedroom. She shoved the binoculars into the back seat under a blanket. After a moment, she got out of the vehicle. The former blonde now had hair so short she looked like a man and the color was pink. While in some ways it drew attention, people simply dismissed someone so colorful looking. Slowly she made her way into the bookstore which was just about to close.

The former detective had her smart phone out and recording everything she could see. Trying not to be obvious, she made sure to go up and down every aisle. Finally she made her way over to the café portion. Her eyes took in a familiar figure behind the counter. This would be a good test as she placed her order. The sandy blonde never flinched. If she recognized Elizabeth, she never let on. "Thank you little lady."

For a moment, the former detective thought she had been made. Sam eyed the woman for a moment before moving on to the next customer. The only better test would to have been if either Candy or Kathy were to see her. Elizabeth savored her coffee for a moment before making her way to her car. She sat there for a moment, simply watching people come and go. It seemed people were still curious about the place where an assassin was taken down by a civilian.

Kathy had proven herself not once, but twice when it came to Jade. Elizabeth had learned a lesson when it came to the couple. Both were willing to do whatever it took to protect the other. It could come in handy if her first plan were to fail. Just as she was to drive off, the former detective spied a familiar redhead. _The aunt. The one that married money. The one that could be of trouble for me._ For a moment, she tapped her fingers on the steering wheel wondering.

It would be another distraction. It would keep them preoccupied. Though Candy and Kathy were already wrapped up in themselves because of the injury to the firefighter, every little distraction would only work in the former detective's favor. A smile was on her lips as the redheaded woman headed towards the parking lot across from the café. Not caring whether she left tread marks behind or if traffic cameras would see her, she gunned her car.

To make it look good, she slammed on the breaks but after she had already hit the older woman. Irene went flying a good twenty feet from where she stood. Instantly, the café and neighboring stores emptied of patrons. Elizabeth knew she had to get out of their so she took off. Luckily she knew of a chop shop that could salvage what they could from her car and get rid of the evidence. Slowly, the woman drove through the night, careful to avoid cops.

In her mind, the only thing that would have made the moment more pleasant was for Candy and Kathy to know it was her that had struck Irene. For now, she would have to be satisfied with the fact one day they would know what she had done to them. Even more satisfying would be the knowledge that no one would ever know it was her that was behind everything. _You play with fire, you will get burned. You should know that by now, Candy._


	2. Chapter 2

"I hate hospitals." Bobby Kane, Candy's father, was holding his daughter. Kathy was next to them, absently holding on to her elbow. "I've been in them way too much in the past few months. So has Kathy. Now Aunt Irene?" The petite blonde took a deep breath. There was the small comfort of knowing that her girlfriend was touching her. The way their lives had been as of late, even the simplest things like a touch, a kiss or holding her soulmate as she cried gave her a small measure of hope and comfort.

They had been at the hospital almost all night. When Candy had received the call from Sam regarding the accident, she had almost lost it. The petite blonde was already on emotional overload having to deal with her own emotional upheaval, her girlfriend's emotional status and now to have to deal with the injury to the one person who had always been a rock in her life. Aunt Irene was almost like a mother to her. Truly she was the only mother she had really known.

"She's going to be all right." Candy leaned back so she could see her girlfriend. The bookstore owner was surprised it was Kathy that had spoken and with such certainty. There was a determination she had not seen in those amazing azure eyes since before the firefighter's accident. Was the raven-haired woman really that certain? Or was she attempting to shoulder more of the emotional distress her soulmate was going through.

"You're such a sweet talker." Without having to be told to, Bobby released his daughter. Candy was kneeling in front of her girlfriend. It was almost there. They were so close to being able to sink into one another's arms. To find that comfort only the other could give. They simply became lost in one another's eyes. The petite blonde could hear music. It wasn't anything she recognized. And yet it was familiar as the face she loved so much.

It was definitely the other time and place she was getting lost into. Was Kathy feeling the same way? The spell was sadly broken when there was the clearing of a throat. Candy quickly stood. Not even thinking, she reached out blindly to take her firefighter's hand in her own. They knew the routine. Sadly, they knew the doctor well. He was the same one who had informed the raven-haired woman of the severity of her injury and the odds of recovery.

"I would joke about giving a family discount, but this is no joking matter." Automatically, Kathy's hand tightened on her soulmate's hand. "Though your aunt is older, she is in amazing shape. That helped a great deal. Still, she has a concussion and a broken arm." The man could see the petite blonde beginning to relax. "She'll need to stay in the hospital a day or two, just for observations. Then she'll need to take it easy for a few weeks."

Candy could not help laughing. Max, who had been watching the family interaction, joined in the laughter. "Sorry, Doc. It's just nearly impossible to keep Aunt Irene still for too long. We'll do our best. Can we see her?" He nodded and pointed down the hall where a nurse was motioning. "Thanks. We won't stay too long. Just want to make sure that she's all right before getting back to the store." The hesitation by Kathy to follow was clearly understood.

"You want to go to the station instead?" Candy eyed her girlfriend. She knew her firefighter had been to the fire station once a month since the accident. Was it self torture? Or was it attempting to keep the hope alive that one day soon she would be able to return to work. No matter the reason, the petite blonde was not about to keep her soulmate from doing whatever it was that would help her return to some semblance of normal.

"Actually…" Her voice trailed off. There were no words needed. Candy instantly knew what her firefighter wanted. "If your dad could give me a lift and wait for me." Kathy hated to impose on her future father-in-law, especially when he had to be concerned about the well-being of his sister-in-law. There was something she needed to do. At one time, she had learned to dream or even simply talk to her brother. Now, it seemed that particular skill was lost.

"I'd be happy to take you anywhere, Darlin'. The boss gave me the day off, so I'm all yours." Bobby smiled ruefully at the thought of his employer. He knew he was lucky to still be employed. While he had taken out a second mortgage on his house to pay what his daughter had stolen back, he still could have easily been cast out. Mechanic positions were easy to come by. The wage he was receiving presently had taken him years to obtain. Sadly, he would have to work well into retirement to recover financially.

"We appreciate that, Dad." Not that she wanted to embarrass her father, uncle or the doctor, Candy needed a bit of strength granted before she saw her aunt. Once again, she knelt down before her soulmate. "I could really use your help later at the store. You know how much I hate the book work. You seem to be getting the hang of it better than me. And I've been doing it for quite some time now."

Kathy blushed. She knew what was really behind the words. Both the suggestion she go to the fire station and how quickly she was learning how to do the orders and to reconcile the books. It seemed to come natural to her. In the back of her mind, it was still something she wanted to do. It would be a safe, satisfying way to make a living. If she recovered, she could always be a volunteer fireperson. "It's a date."

Once again, there was more meaning behind the words. Their eyes held for a moment longer before finally, reluctantly Candy stood. She leaned in and was glad when Kathy closed the distance. Once again, it was a simple kiss. There was passion behind it. There was desire. But none of it spilled forth. It was still too soon for both of them. "We can finish the dessert after we get done working." The petite blonde winked. "You're cute when you blush."

Before Kathy could respond, Candy was making her way down the hallway. Max wasn't far behind his niece. The firefighter simply watched as her girlfriend walked with confidence and with purpose. There also seemed to be an extra sway to her hips. Instantly, her mouth was as dry as a desert. The raven head was shaking as a small fire was burning between her legs. There was definitely still the desire. Now if she and her soulmate could be ready.

Candy knew that a pair of blue eyes was locked on her as she ate up the short distance to her aunt. It felt good to put a little extra sway into her walk. It felt even better to sense her movements were very much appreciated. The bookstore owner knew she should behave, at least until both of them were ready for intimacy. Then again, she had never truly behaved when it came to Kathy. Was she a pistol like her sister?

Perhaps she did have a mischievous streak. It was probably inherited from her mother's side. Though her mother was named Angel, her aunt had told her stories. Candy was well aware of some of the things her aunt had done over the years. No matter where she inherited it from, it was good to tease. It was good to keep the fires stoked. Even if it was partly killing her, it was also making her heart soar. And with everything going on, that was a necessity.

The petite blonde waited a moment before she entered her aunt's room. She had to make sure she was ready to see yet another loved one badly injured. Candy finally allowed herself to walk in. Her uncle was her shadow. Though she was bruised, there was no mistaking the redhead. The bookstore owner sat on the edge of the bed. "Hey." Gingerly, they hugged. "How are you doing? I know you must feel like hell. Do you remember what happened?"

Irene cleared her throat. That was the worst part about having been asleep while they fixed her arm. It wasn't a simple break. But it was easily repaired. "For someone that was hit by a car, I feel pretty darn good." The redhead looked away for a moment. "I really wasn't paying attention. I made sure there were no cars before I crossed the road." Their eyes met. A silent understanding seemed to pass between them.

When she had first heard about the accident, there was a part of Candy that had feared this was some kind of retaliation against her. There was Jade who was supposed to be locked up tight in federal prison. There was her sister who claimed to have seen the light. There was a certain detective that had lost her job because she had attempted to railroad her soulmate. Was there someone else out there that held a grudge?

It was odd. Candy was now twenty seven and thought she had lived a simple life. The most exciting thing that had happened to her was inheriting the bookstore from her aunt. Then she had been nearly killed in the fire at Sam's failed restaurant. That had led to meeting her soulmate. Their lives were anything but dull. But to have gained that many enemies in such a short time, it was too much to think about and had her head spinning.

"I hope you told this to the police." Irene simply nodded. Candy hated to do this since Max would want time with his wife, but the petite blonde needed a little girl talk with her aunt. "Uncle Max, could you get us some coffee or something?" As was the norm with the sweet man, he took the hint well. He winked at his niece before he left the two ladies to talk. "Though we live right next door, we haven't had much time to talk."

"No, we haven't." Irene was not exactly a patient woman. With her niece, she tried to be. She knew that Kathy was dealing with so many emotions. Most forgot just how hard this was on her niece. There were her own issues. The redhead waited for a moment. Knowing that talking about the one you loved was like giving away the most intimate secrets of your life. "Are you going to sit here all day? Max is going to walk ten miles to avoid coming in here if you don't start talking."

Candy smiled sheepishly. It was silly. If there was one person, outside of Kathy, she could talk to it would be her aunt. "We almost…last night." Irene's eyes were twinkling at the thought. When she saw the look on her niece's face, the twinkling quickly faded. "I stopped it because…well I said it was because neither of us is emotionally ready. That couldn't be truer. You know what almost happened." Her aunt nodded. "Well, I've enjoyed kissing and touching. What if…?"

"What if you start to make love and the memories come flooding back?" Candy sighed heavily. Now that the words were spoken aloud, it made the memories come flooding back. She closed her eyes and waited for the nausea and shakes to pass. It hadn't hit her this bad since right after the incident. "Sweetie, you have to give yourself time. You two have a lifetime or two to get to know each other intimately."

The bookstore owner could no longer look at her aunt. Words similar had been said to Kathy. At the time, she had believed them. The music from earlier echoed in her mind and she knew it was true. They had loved one another before. They would continue to love one another in the future. It was the present she was concerned with. "I've been seeing a counselor once a week. And I think it's getting better. It's just we haven't…"

"Candace Sugar Kane, you stop that right now." Candy's eyes grew wide. For one, she hated her middle name with a passion. When Kathy called her 'Sweet Candy' that was one thing. Anyone else using her middle name grated on her nerves. The other reason was that her aunt rarely, if ever, spoke to her in this manner. "You can't keep worrying about something like that. You mark my words, you and Kathy are going to be all right. In every way possible. It's just going to take time."

Candy knew she had been being silly. It was just so painful to think of never being held that way by her soulmate. She had waited over twenty six years to find the one woman she was willing to give her complete innocence to. Now what if they couldn't share in that ever again? A heavy sigh escaped her. "In my heart, I know you are right. It's my brain that I'm fighting." The petite blonde felt herself being pulled into a one armed hug.

"You are a human being. So is Kathy." When Candy stiffened in her arms, the redhead knew they had finally gotten to the real root of the problem. "That's what you are really worried about, isn't it?" The petite blonde broke the tentative grip her aunt had on her slowly so not to hurt her. "Since Kathy never had the proper guidance when she was younger, she won't know how to deal with things now." When her niece would not look at her, she knew the answer.

"Candy, I know that your girlfriend was not raised properly. By that I mean she was never given true love, at least not by her mother. Sadly her father only saw her every other weekend. Blasted courts. Wish they could have seen what that alcoholic bitch was doing to her children." When a blonde eyebrow rose, Irene quickly continued. "Do you think Justin would be an alcoholic and treated his sister so poorly if he had not learned those behaviors from Franny?"

"I never really thought about that. I just knew that Kathy was hurting a great deal when she was young. No one noticed and she learned to deal with it by shutting down all emotions." Candy tilted her head in thought. "If Justin can begin to relearn things, perhaps I'm not giving my girlfriend enough credit." The bookstore owner sighed heavily. "I think that I'm so worried about how my body is going to react, I've forgotten just what Kathy learned over the past few months."

Irene nodded, attempting to encourage her niece to continue her train of thought. "Sure, she might have reverted back to her old ways. Who wouldn't go to their comfort zone after what we both have been through?" Candy smiled in triumph. "So it goes back to us both being patient with our own minds and bodies. And then we have to be patient with one another's minds and bodies. I know I can do that. After all, Kathy is everything to me."

Once again, Candy found herself in a one armed hug. Sometimes she just needed someone to bounce her thoughts off from. All of what she had said was what had been racing through her mind. She had needed another person, someone that loved her and wanted the best for her, to confirm what she had been feeling. "I hope you never move away. I think I'm going to need you. The way our lives seem so eventful." Though both women laughed, there was a truth to the statement. And they both knew it.

()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()

Sam was off today. She had wanted to come to work for two reasons. One, her best friend might need her. The sandy blonde had been one of the first on the scene of the crime. And she had been the one to call Candy. Two, she needed to distance herself from her girlfriend. Denise was pushing for them to be intimate. There was no way that would ever happen, at least not in the foreseeable future. Memories were simply too fresh.

The therapist and therapy group she attended three times a week only seemed to make things worse. Not only was she forced to relieve her trauma over and over again, she had to absorb what other men and women had been through. It seemed to weigh heavily on her. Knowing what happened to her could be so much worse as she had no physical scars made her guilty. On the flipside, knowing that others' assaults were tame compared to hers pissed her off.

The one person she thought she could talk to about it, she could not. When Candy had confided that she had only been assaulted and not raped, it was like a slap to the face. She knew her best friend had simply been trying to comfort her, to get her to open up. Sam made her way to the window of her childhood home. Sometimes she wished her memories had never come back. Why had they if her mind, heart and soul were not ready to deal with them?

The chef took several deep breaths and closed her eyes. She focused on an unseen sunset. Her therapist had told her it might help to focus on the closing of the day. That way she could close out the pain, anger and hate. It rarely worked, but she was desperate. If it didn't work this time, she was going to need to do something to distract her from the pain. The sandy blonde remembered what one of the women in the group did to relieve the pain.

Was she so far gone that she would actually stoop to doing something like that? From the woman's description, it wasn't like that. It was simply one way of dealing with emotional pain. Inflicting physical pain on one's self sounded so extreme. Yet when the sunset came crashing into the ocean, fire ignited in the ocean, blazing a path straight for the battered soul of the chef. Sam began to fidget and she had the shakes.

A guttural scream escaped the small woman. Though her mother was a retired school teacher and spent most of her days home, today was her grocery shopping day. Sam was glad that she usually went early to beat the crowds as she made her way into the kitchen. Being a chef, she knew exactly which knife was the sharpest. The weight of the knife was perfectly balanced. For a moment, she simply admired the utensil as a cook.

Soon, the need became overwhelming once again. Hastily, Sam made her way back to her room. She locked the door knowing it would appear suspicious if her mother checked. No one could ever know what she was about to do. Not even her therapist or therapy group could be privy to this. If it worked, she would continue until she was able to deal with the pain from the rape. Hopefully it would happen soon as the chef was terrified of one thing.

What if in her zest for attempting to end the pain, she cut herself too deep? She would have to go to a doctor or emergency room and then everyone would know. She would begin simple. Slow shallow cuts would be the ticket. Sam gathered her worn out T-shirt to wipe the blood away. Her hand was shaking at first. This was something she had heard about and had always wondered how anyone could do this to themselves.

Sam closed her eyes. The images and the sensations of that night so long ago assaulted her all at once. Before she knew what she was doing, the knife was slicing the delicate skin of her inner thigh. A startled yelp escaped her as the pain was searing. When she looked down, she was shocked at how deep and long the cut had been. The T-shirt was hurriedly placed against the wound she had just inflicted. All she could think of was this fresh pain.

It took about ten minutes to get the bleeding to stop. In fact, she had to gather some butterfly bandages from the bathroom she shared with her mother to make it completely stop bleeding. As she lay on her bed, the cut still throbbing, she realized something. It had been nearly an hour since she had made the incision in her leg. This meant, it had been an hour since she had thought about Jade and that night. A sad smile was upon the sandy blonde's face.

The chef leaned her head against her headboard. It was not exactly shocking that the pain from the cut had overpowered the other memories. Sam now knew what the woman had been talking about. It truly was a way around the pain. There were a few drawbacks. One was what nearly had happened on her first attempt, which was to cut too deep. The second would be making sure the cuts would remain hidden.

Since she was not even close to feeling sexual arousal and wanting to be intimate with Denise, which only left her mother to worry about. While her mother usually respected her privacy, there were a few times when her mother would walk into the bathroom while she was showering or not know she was in her bedroom. It would mean remaining covered or locking the doors. The only problem with locking her mother out would be the suspicions it raised.

Sam's eyes closed. If she could find one second of serenity in a day, it would be worth all the hiding. Her existence now was twenty four hours of being tortured by tastes, sensations and sights she would rather never remember. How she was going to do that, other than the release she had discovered, she didn't know. Of course she would continue to go to her therapist and attempt to participate in group. But she would never share her knew found release.

()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()

Getting to her brother's grave had been an obstacle Kathy had not thought about. Though she had been using the wheelchair for four months, she still forgot her limitations. The cemetery was small and had no well-defined paths. Her long legs used to eat up the distance easily. This time she'd had to rely on her father-in-law to carry her to where she still sat now. She was leaning against her younger brother's headstone.

"Tony, it's been a long time since I've spoken to you here." Kathy remembered well so many of her conversations. Mostly they had revolved around apologizing and how she should have been able to save him. She had tried. At eight years old, she had tried repeatedly to drag her brother through the flames. Instead of saving him, she had received scars on her arms and thighs. Her mother had blamed her for his death and had not truly loved her.

"I know I can speak to you anywhere. I know I can dream of you." Kathy turned enough so that she could trace the name and dates engraved in the headstone. "I just feel a little lost right now. I know you can see me. I know you are my guardian angel. You kind of slipped up." Instead of laughter at her attempt at humor, she only inwardly groaned. The one with the sense of humor in their relationship was Candy. But then, her Sweet Candy was everything.

"Sorry. I know you do the best you can to look out for me." Kathy allowed her mind to drift back to that night, before the accident. She had been doing her usual. She had been fighting a fire. As she looked back, there were so many times she could have gotten hurt, if not worse, other than the car accident. "You were a busy little guy. I guess I wore you out." This time, the wind picked up and the firefighter could have sworn she heard a giggle floating along with the breeze.

"Between Candy and me, we'll wear out all the guardian angels." Again, the wind picked up and Kathy could swear she could hear a child's laughter. "I guess that's partly why I'm here. I don't know what do to. My lower body is useless. I'm having to rely on everyone for everything." Blue eyes closed. The pain was becoming too much. She knew that Bobby was watching her. While attempting to give her space, she also knew he would be making sure she was all right.

And not just because she was Candy's girlfriend as the man was one of the better men she had ever met. He truly cared about both his children. Even someone new to emotions knew it had to be killing him to know his daughter had chosen to go against her sister instead of coming together as a family. It made the firefighter realize that, no matter how strong or loving a family you come from, ultimately it's up to you become all you can.

Had Kathy been handicapped from the beginning? She hated that term as she was now forced to use a wheelchair. It was true. While Crystal had been given every advantage, she had still turned into something the firefighter hoped to never become. It was her mother that had attempted to manipulate her. It had been her mother who used her for sympathy. That was part of the reason she was the way she was. Or had she been born this way?

The realization caused an ache in her heart. Kathy closed her eyes. Did it matter why she was the way she was? Would blaming her mother change anything? At the end of the day, it was still the firefighter's choice on how she behaved. It was her choice whether she allowed herself to accept the unconditional love Candy so willingly offered her. And it was up to her to allow the woman who loved her to help her, especially when she needed it the most.

"You didn't even have to say anything this time." Kathy settled herself against the headstone. She wanted to stay all day but knew Bobby would want to check on Irene and Candy. She was worried about her girlfriend. The firefighter was worried about her entire family. Irene being hit the way she was just seemed too convenient. While she had not talked to the redhead, she had seen her fair share of accidents.

Though the street was busy, she had awakened early and gotten Rich to take her to the scene of the accident. The skid marks made no sense. Though it at first appeared the person had attempted to stop, Kathy had noticed how they'd sped up just as Irene was hit. She hoped the police would be able to find out who did this to the redhead. Candy was very close to her aunt and if anything happened to her or any of the family, especially because of them…

"Do you think someone is out to get us?" Kathy turned to look at her brother's headstone. It was odd to hear her voice so much. With Candy, the one she should be talking to, she was practically mute. "There's always the detective. She was certainly crazy enough." The firefighter thought for several moments. There of course was Jade. There was Crystal. There was one person that she hated to think would stoop this low.

That person was hardly ever alone. Not imprisoned like Jade, it would still be difficult for this person to get to them without being noticed. Still, if it was who she was thinking of…Kathy decided she'd talked enough. Her throat was scratchy from overuse. "Well Tony, I guess this is where I leave you. I'm glad you've forgiven me for what happened. I don't know if I'll ever forgive myself. Please keep watch over Candy. Without her…"

Kathy waved her hand. It took a couple tries before Bobby noticed. The raven-haired woman was patient as she waited. She easily let herself be carried back to the car. One thing she had figured out from the conversation with her brother was how she was going to have to allow people, especially those that loved her, to help her when she needed it. While she would continue to go to physical therapy in hopes of walking again, she would not deny the help she need.

If Kathy were truly honest with herself, she would admit that vowing to not deny the help she needed and following through were two different things. The firefighter nodded her head to let her father-in-law know she was settled in. After talking with her brother, she felt better. But she knew, deep in her heart, she was going to need Candy's love even more than ever. She sent a silent prayer to her brother and anyone else that they would watch over her Sweet Candy.

It was nearing noon when they finally arrived at the bookstore. Instead of parking out front, Bobby made his way out back. Kathy closed her eyes as he helped her into the chair. For once, it wasn't because she hated being helped. It was because she saw it. She wanted to take the machine for a ride. An idea hit her. Her physical therapist had mentioned different types of therapy. Maybe, just maybe she could get Candy to learn to drive.

It wasn't the solution she wanted. But it would get her back on the open road. She could still be with Candy. In fact, Kathy would have to hold on to her girlfriend tightly. Maybe she was looking at this all wrong. Maybe there were some positives that could come out of her accident. After all, they spent almost the entire day together. Her life wasn't in constant danger, at least not from her occupation. And if they worked at it, she could escape on the open road.

It took a moment for her to realize Bobby had been attempting to speak to her. She finally removed her gaze away from her escape, deciding to let the dream go for the moment. One day the dream would come true. Just like one day she would one day make known to the world her commitment to spend the rest of her life with Candy Kane. "Sorry. Was thinking. I'll be fine. Want to see if Candy isn't too busy to share lunch with me."

"I know my little girl." _At least I think I do. I never knew that she was attracted to women. I wish…I wish she had confided in me instead of Crystal trying to shock me into loving her more. I love both my daughters, even now._ Bobby wanted to kneel in front of his daughter-in-law. She had allowed Candy to get away with it. Anyone else, she hated it. "While she gets immersed in her work, she'll always have time for you."

Kathy nodded absently. So far, that was true. While there were times when she sensed that Candy would check on how things were going just to get away from her and the stress, she also remembered how her girlfriend would clean up in the café portion, even though there was a cleaning crew. Her soulmate was very adamant about doing things for herself, not having to rely on others unless she really had to.

"I know. Goes both ways." Bobby squeezed her shoulder before making his way to the driver's side of his SUV. He watched as the firefighter struggled. Part of him wanted to help, but he refrained, instead getting in his vehicle and slowly driving away. Kathy hadn't been struggling as much as the mechanic had thought. In fact, she had halted when the thought hit her. Candy was similar to her in the way that she too wanted to take care of herself and not rely on others.

A sad smile was on her face as she finally made her way into the building. Forgoing the stairs to their apartment, Kathy made her way to her soulmate's office. She hesitated a moment before knocking on the half open door. "I hope that's someone with something to eat. I'm starving!" The firefighter took that as permission to come in, though she wanted to go to the café and gather lunch for them. "Kathy!" It was almost like a school girl's tone.

Before Kathy could say a word, she found she had a lap full of petite blonde. Her heart soared. It instantly ached as Candy moved from her lap as quickly as she had landed in it. "I'm sorry I forgot." Before the bookstore owner could move back to her desk, she felt her hand being taken. She felt the pull and once again was in the arms of the woman she loved. "I don't know about you, but it felt good to forget for a little bit."

A genuine smile was upon Kathy's face. It felt good to hold her soulmate. It felt good not to have to worry about touching or offending or anything else they had been struggling with the past four months. "Can I give you a lift?" The surprise on Candy's face told her just how much things were different. At one time, that would mean the firefighter swooping her girlfriend in her arms. Of course most of the time, it was done without asking. Now…

"If it's not too much trouble. Seems a certain bookstore owner needs to work through lunch." Though it was only June, normally a slower month, business was actually going very well. That meant she was forced to remain in her office while her staff saw to the sales. "And if that brain of yours isn't too tired, that same person could use some help." It felt hard. It felt awkward. This natural flirting Candy had always fell into with her soulmate.

"Hold on." Candy made sure that her legs were out of the way of the doorframe before they continued into the busy store. As was the norm, a few people gave them looks. Some were not used to Kathy in the wheelchair. Some were because they were two women, obviously in love. The petite blonde had her head leaning on the raven-haired woman's shoulder as her arm was wrapped tightly around her waist. "What's your pleasure?"

Kathy instantly blushed. This was not unusual and it made Candy's heart soar. Little things like this told her that they were getting closer. But how long? How long would it be before they could be like they were? Of course, that was impossible. Everyone changed. Everyone grew. So even if things could return to some semblance of normal, it would never be exactly like it was. It was both heartening and disheartening at the same time.

Though she had been going through the thought process, the words slipped out. "You." The blush on the firefighter grew while Candy matched the blush. She buried her head in the neck of her lover. Finally able to recover, at least somewhat, she continued. "Since we're in public, that's not an option. So I'll have the sandwich you inspired." As she felt the body beneath her stiffen, she knew she had said the wrong thing. She leaned in and whispered, "You'll always be my hero."

The firefighter sighed. They'd been together long enough that she should be used to the way Candy thought. There was even a small part of her of her that was slowly beginning to believe it. Even her brother had once told her so in a dream. "I know." It wasn't much, but it was how she felt. Now it was her turn for her voice to become a whisper. "I love you and will try, no matter what, to live up to that nickname."

Candy kissed her girlfriend soundly. "Just be yourself. Now that we've scandalized everyone enough, a working lunch with my favorite firefighter." They quickly ordered and received their food. The petite blonde was surprised when Kathy insisted that she remain seated in her girlfriend's lap. She was not going to complain. Too soon for her tastes, they arrived back in her office. Luckily, she had cleared enough space for both of them to work side by side.

"You have to move that here once you've paid for it." Kathy was trying to explain exactly what her girlfriend was doing wrong. Candy had upgraded her software just after accident. This program was supposed to be one of the most secured ever made. Both were paranoid of attacks. If a former police officer was after them, she would have access to the latest technology. And if she'd truly fallen, to the smartest criminals.

"I see." Candy placed the last bite of her sandwich in her mouth. She wiped her mouth and hands before she corrected her mistake. Finally, the books were beginning to balance. For a moment, she leaned back in the chair. She was grateful for the headache to be over. But only for a little while. This was only the middle of the month. Closing out the monthly accounts, quarterly and then end of year were even bigger pains. "Don't take this the wrong way, but how do you know how to do this?"

Kathy could be offended, but she understood the question. It was something she asked herself. She simply shrugged her shoulders. Having basically grown up at the fire station and training to be a firefighter straight out of high school, she'd never had the need to learn computers. She knew enough to use the ones at the fire station and the ones at the library. After all, that's how she had avoided people before, ordering everything online that she could.

"Just comes natural." As she was about to say 'as natural as loving you', there was a knock on the door. They looked at one another. No one usually bothered them while they worked. If they did need something, they were usually called. "Come in!" The gruff voice of the firefighter startled Candy. She couldn't help but wonder if the voice was intentional because their solace was being interrupted or because Kathy was being protective.

Either way, she liked it. The last person Candy thought she'd see was standing there. That wasn't true as she hoped never to see Jade or the detective again. "Crystal?" Green eyes blinked as she took in her sister. She hadn't changed much. Her features were a little more ragged. Last she had heard, her sister was working a few jobs as well as fulfilling her obligation of community service. "What brings you here?" _And should I believe a word that comes out of your mouth?_

"I can come back if you're busy." Candy could not help it when her eyes rolled. "I know, like I've ever really cared about what you think. I'm telling you, things are changing for me. In a lot of ways." Once again, there was a rolling of the eyes. "I honestly only came here because I wanted to know how Aunt Irene was doing. I tried to see her, but they said she didn't want to see me. I've only got about ten minutes before I have to get to work. So if now is not a good time…"

While Candy was skeptical, she decided it was cruel to let her sister keep on worrying about their aunt. Though so many retorts were on the tip of her tongue, she managed to keep them to herself, at least for now. "She's bruised, achy, has a concussion and has a broken arm. I heard from Uncle Max about an hour ago. He said the police say she was lucky. If the person hadn't pretended to stop, she would have been killed."

"Pretended to stop?" Though it was Crystal that had asked the question, it was the firefighter's mind that was at work. While never being overly friendly with any of her coworkers, she had made one or two connections over the years. She made a mental note to call in a favor to find out what exactly it was they thought about the so-called accident. "I don't…" There was a lightning to the younger woman's eyes. "You mean someone tried to kill Aunt Irene?"

"With what you brought into our lives, you're surprised that someone would try and kill Aunt Irene?" Candy was making her way over to her sister before Kathy could react. The firefighter cursed her slower reaction time, as well as the wheelchair she was forced to use. "It could be Jade. It could be that crazy detective you involved in our lives because of stealing from me and Dad. Do you even realize everything you've brought onto this family?"

By this time, Kathy was beside her girlfriend. When she put a hand on her arm, Candy shrugged it away. The petite blonde turned to her lover. "Normally I'd listen to you and hold my temper." She turned back to her sister. "But we've been through hell and back the past few months and are still trying to get back to where we once were. Now Aunt Irene is in considerable pain. Most likely this is your fault as well as what happened with Jade."

Candy closed her eyes and took a deep breath as she allowed the hand to take a hold of her arm. "I'm sorry. Not sorry I finally said almost everything I've wanted to say to you since you were arrested. Sorry that I did it now. Sorry that I didn't say it in a more constructive way. Crystal, from now on, call or text. Preferably text. Maybe someday we'll be able to be sisters, not that we ever were. Now go. And good luck with your life."

Before Crystal could say anything, the door was being closed in her face. Anger overtook her. _I know I am to blame for a lot of the horrible things that have happened._ She took a deep breath. Josh entered her mind. He was the reason she was attempting to turn her life around. But if her father, sister and aunt thought she was never going to be able to change, what was the point? As she stormed out of the bookstore, her last thought was exactly that. _What was the point?_


	3. Chapter 3

Elizabeth was moving easily in the bright sunlight. She wanted to see how Irene was. After finding out the older woman had survived practically unscathed, it had caused her a great deal of aggravation knowing the pain was only temporary. The former detective had hoped there would be lasting effects like with Kathy's injuries or even death. Still, it had inflicted pain in both the firefighter's and bookstore owner's hearts.

For now, that would have to do. She was waiting. Her special contact was having trouble gaining entry into the country. That only meant her plans would be pushed back a week or two. There was another contact she wanted to reach out to. This one would be tricky as she was still being held in federal custody. Eventually she would get to Jade. Eventually her friend would make his entrance. And perhaps she could recruit another soul into her private army.

Already, she was known as 'The Death Dealer'. Those that opposed her learned a painful lesson. Those that opposed her lost their lives. It was almost unsettling to her to watch as those that tried to betray her suffered at her hands. That was one thing she wanted known. Elizabeth would always do her own work. It was a necessity she had learned from being a detective. One can't gain power simply by stepping on the backs of others.

Elizabeth stopped at the corner, pretending to wait for the light to change. The redhead was easy to spy. She was having an animated conversation with her husband. The former detective shook her head. _You should have listened to Max._ She looked around her. It was busy. But she didn't care as she tripped and accidentally pushed Irene into oncoming traffic. Not bothering to look back, she cursed when she realized her timing had been off.

Instead of falling into flowing traffic, the redhead had only stumbled and managed to recover before the light changed. Elizabeth sighed heavily. The attempts on Irene's life were going to have to come to an end. One accident could be explained. Even a klutzy pedestrian could be explained. If the attempts continued, she knew both Candy and Kathy were intelligent enough to know something was going on. Her former law enforcement employers, they would have no clue.

Careful not to draw attention to herself, Elizabeth made her way to her car. It was another newly acquired machine in yet another alias. If not careful, she would lose track of them. Finally, she was in her safe haven of her vehicle. She sat there, watching from afar, as Max helped Irene. Again, there was an exchange of words. The former detective smiled. The fiery nature of the redhead would be her downfall one day.

For quite some time, Elizabeth sat watching. Not that she cared for the couple, it was simply people watching. Now that she had time on her hands, it was easy for her to do this most of the day. As the couple moved out of sight, other people caught her attention. She wondered how many of them could be persuaded to work for her. It was always a gamble when approaching a person. Sometimes she could gauge them accurately. Sometimes…

The car door opening and closing surprised Elizabeth. Normally she was so attuned to her surroundings; no one could get the drop on her. Not sensing immediate danger, she turned slowly to see who had gotten past her defenses. Her cold grey eyes opened slightly wider, not able to hide the surprise. "It's ballsy of you to be seen with me. Or have you not turned over a new life like you claimed to have in court?"

Crystal studied the woman sitting in the driver's seat. She hadn't meant to involve Jade, at least not if she was an assassin. She hadn't meant to involve a dirty cop. Yet her actions had done that and so much more. As she sat there, Josh entered her mind. It was important to have a good person making you want to better yourself. And yet, Candy had gone too far. "I was going to. I have a boyfriend who believes in me. But…"

"But your family doesn't care." Crystal held her gaze. Of course the former detective would know what she was thinking. She couldn't say feeling as her only feelings left were reserved for Josh. "I've been there, once upon a time." Elizabeth leaned back. Though not really relaxed, she wanted to hear out what Candy's sister had to say. "So I ask you once again, have you lost your way? Or did you want to talk to me for a reason?"

"There's a very good reason." Crystal took the lead of the former detective and leaned back. She was anything but relaxed. If this didn't go the way she planned, she would be back in jail. Her sentence would probably be extended to five if not ten years hard time. If things went her way, it would be worth it. "I'm tired of working three jobs. I'm tired of having to answer to the system. I've heard you can help me with that. For a price of course."

"There's a price for everything." Elizabeth now leaned in close. Her normally cold eyes were now frigid. It was all Crystal could do not to shudder. "If I were able to do as you ask…" The former detective now was within inches of the brown-hair woman. To her credit, the youngest Kane never backed down. She could not help the blinking. It was more out of attempting to focus on the woman across from her. "What would you be willing to do for me?"

"Anything." Crystal knew this was not exactly what her tentative ally had in mind. There were certain things she would hedge at. Killing was not something she thought she could stomach, especially if it was anyone in her family. While not thrilled with them at the moment, they were still family. Gaining the freedom to do as she wished was something she wanted more than she could say. How far was she willing to go to prove that?

"Anything?" The wheels were turning in the former detective's mind. While she would still need her old friend's help, having Candy's sister, even if they were on the outs, would be a very good thing. "Would you kill your sister?" Crystal was unable to hold her gaze. Though she knew a question or a similar one was forth coming, it still caught her off guard. The laughter burned the brown-haired woman's ears. "Relax. We'll work you up to that."

Crystal swallowed. She wasn't sure this was such a good idea anymore. If the former detective was serious, she was getting in over her head. There were one or two things she could do to safeguard herself. For now, she needed to gain the trust of the woman still invading her personal space. "What would you like me to do first?" Finally, Elizabeth slunk back to her side of the car. "Candy is upset with me so I'm not sure how much access I'll have to her."

"No worries. Her store is a public place. You can use the café anytime." Elizabeth's eyes were still as grey as the sky during a blizzard. Crystal shivered out of fear. "And who says you can't become an avid reader. Perhaps one that prefers the self-help types." An understanding washed over Crystal. It wasn't direct access the former detective needed of her. She needed someone who wouldn't raise suspicions being in the store all the time. "So, I'll scratch your back. You don't say no to me."

At first Crystal was afraid to speak. Once she agreed, she was linked to Elizabeth forever. Once she was linked to the former detective, the possibility of going to jail increased by a thousand. And yet, this was the only way she could do to Candy what she wanted to. There was also Josh to think about. "All right, I'm under your command. Once you take care of my probation and community service, I can spend most of my time 'improving' myself."

"Now you understand. Now get out." Crystal hesitated only a moment. As she stood by the car, she wondered if this would work out the way she wanted it to. "We can't be seen together." Elizabeth leaned over to gain access to the glove box. Inside were small caliber weapons. There were also two burner phones. "Only use your cell phone to contact Candy and your beau." The wink caused Crystal to shiver. "And don't call me unless you think you've been made. Even then, think twice."

All she could do was nod. Crystal took the phone with a shaking hand. She watched as the former detective drove off. It took a moment for the brown-haired girl to move. Getting out of public eye was the best things. There was also the fact she had a date with Josh. Her eyes closed for a moment and took a deep breath. Once again, she needed to think of why she was doing this. If things went wrong, she would lose her family and she would lose Josh. Forever.

()()()()()()()()()()()()()()

Pale blue eyes were watching her. Sam could feel them burning into the back of her head. If she wasn't in so much pain, she would accept the love and concern she felt from her girlfriend. Right now, it was making her twitch. It had only been four days since she had found her new way of dealing with the pain. Since then, it was as if Denise knew. Though they lived in separate places, the strawberry blonde was rarely far from her side.

Sam sighed. Denise was self-employed as a therapist. The same kind of therapist that was doing nothing to help the chef with her problems. The same kind that wanted to help her no matter what. The fact they were dating, it only added to the constant scrutiny she was under. Her mother was different. Her mother almost seemed as if she didn't want to know what the sandy blonde was up to. It reminded her of when she had first discovered she preferred women.

"So…" Denise made her way across the small bedroom. Sam was sitting with her back against the headboard. Her legs were under the covers. Though she was wearing long cargo shorts, she was still worried either her girlfriend or her mother would notice. The cuts were not healing as fast as the chef would like. It made walking slightly painful. But she never allowed it to show. "Are we going to just stay in again? And are you going to keep giving me the silent treatment?"

"I talk to you." It was technically true. Sam would say a word here and there. However, she would rarely keep the conversation flowing for very long. In fact, she would walk out of the room or even go for one of her walks. If she really felt threatened, she would volunteer to help at the café. It was always painful when she thought of Candy, no longer the object of her affection but the woman who had escaped the torture she had endured.

"You call this talking to me?" Denise grabbed the blanket and pulled it away. Sam instantly curled in a little ball. The therapist saw the position for what it was. It was time her girlfriend told her exactly what happened with Jade. Obviously the therapy she was seeking wasn't helping her. "This is giving me one or two word answers." When the sandy blonde would have spoken, the strawberry blonde quickly continued. "And don't be smart and say it was actually four words."

A heavy sigh escaped the chef. It had been how many months and she had gotten away with not telling Denise everything. Sam had known it wouldn't last long. Her girlfriend truly loved her. And she truly loved her girlfriend. If she was in the right mindset, she would be able to admit they were soulmates and meant to be together. But she was not in her right mind, at least emotionally. "You know I was raped. You know I wish I still didn't remember anything."

"Even though that means forgetting who I am?" Sam's eyes closed. Her stomach churned. When it was said aloud, it sounded so insensitive. It sounded so wrong. And yet, it was the truth. Having to deal with something that altered her beyond repair would best be forgotten, right? "I know what happened to you was…" The glare she received caused Denise to pause in her statement. "Ok. So I don't know what you actually went through. But to not talk to me? The one who loves you."

Sam blinked. She wondered if Kathy and Candy were going through something similar. They had gone through so many things and now had the firefighter's injury and the bookstore owner's brush with rape to deal with. Love was the key, wasn't it? "All I can say right now is that the pain would be best suppressed or forgotten. Would I want to forget what we've shared?" Somehow, she managed to relax from her protective stature. "Of course not. That would be giving up too much of myself."

Denise fought the tears as they threatened to fall. She wanted to engulf her girlfriend in a hug, but knew better. Baby steps were called for. "That's a start. I was beginning to wonder if I could ever be enough for you." The urge to cover Sam's body with her own was almost too much to ignore. The girlfriend in her wanted to do that and so much more. The therapist in her knew that she had to give her chef time and space. Even if it was the most painful thing in the world to do.

"You'll be enough." Sam felt the wetness on her cheeks. It was the first time since shortly after she had regained her memories that her body had allowed her to cry. The chef realized that was part of the problem. Other than finding the release in cutting herself, she had not simply let herself cry. Though crying wasn't the entire answer, it was another small step in her road to recover. For the first time, she truly felt she had made a small measure of progress.

The strawberry-blonde moved slowly, not wanting to scare her girlfriend. Sam's first instinct was to curl back into a ball. This was Denise moving toward her. This was her soulmate. If anyone could bring her a measure of comfort, it had to be her. Weary of her wounds, Sam kept her legs to the side as she allowed her girlfriend to hug her gently. The tears slowly picked up. It was almost too much. For once, she felt good. For once, she felt like she deserved this.

Then it all came flooding back. Without thinking of what it would do to her girlfriend, Sam roughly shoved her away. Denise ended up on the floor. There was a sad smile upon the strawberry blonde. The chef held her head in both hands, allowing the tears. This time, she allowed the pain. Somehow she fought to hold on to the love she had felt in that brief moment she had been held by her soulmate. "I'm sorry."

A gentle hand touched her knee but didn't linger. Sam looked up into understanding eyes. If ever she believed she didn't deserve this, it was now. It wasn't because she was dirty. It was because she was not worthy of unconditional love. Yet Denise was here and was not going anywhere. Part of her wanted to be alone so that she could ease the pain in that special way. Part of her wanted to feel strong arms around her once again.

Sam chose the easy way out. At least for her, it was the easy way out. "While I love you and love being held by you, I think I need…some space to deal with…how all of this is making me feel. I don't want you to go and at the same time…" She closed her eyes. Lies. Most of what was coming from her mouth was lies. There were partial truths. The truths helped ease the guilt. Once again, she felt the gentle touch of her girlfriend, briefly.

"I'll go. I should see some patients. I have to make money somehow." The attempt at humor caused Sam to look into sincere eyes. There was so much love she wanted to tell Denise everything. The first touches Jade had forced upon her to now when she was being a coward and sending the one thing that could help her away. "Can…" The strawberry-blonde hesitated, wondering if her suggestion would be too much too soon. "Can we have dinner later?"

The chef held her breath. If she was going to do what she was, seeing Denise later was not a good idea. Yet she couldn't keep refusing to see her girlfriend or spend time with her. They'd just had a minor breakthrough. Finally, Sam exhaled. There was nothing she could do other than give in to what her soulmate wanted. "I'm not sure I'll have much of an appetite, but we can maybe watch a movie. Not sure about snuggling."

Denise was surprised by the offer. The strawberry-blonde slowly stood. Being as close to her girlfriend as she was, it had to feel like she was suffocating her. Sam visibly relaxed the further she got to the door. It hurt as a girlfriend but was understandable as a therapist. "We'll see how dinner and dessert go before I make promises of a movie." Her hand on the doorknob, she turned back toward her soulmate. "I mean it when I say we can take things slow. I'd just like to see some progress."

Sam could say nothing so she simply nodded. It wasn't long before she heard the engine of her girlfriend's car. The chef wasted no time in making her way to her door and locking it securely. Her mother was somewhere in the house. She didn't want to have her see what she was about to do. Already, the sandy blonde had a kit. An old towel, her best knife and butter fly bandages stood at the ready.

Buried deep on the top shelf of her closet were also gauzes just in case. Sam hoped it would never come to it. She hoped she would not overdo like she did the first time she had cut herself. Still, she knew it was a very real possibility. The towel was place beneath her leg as she started slowly. The cut was shallow and yet caused just the right amount of pain. Hazel eyes closed as the pain took away the images.

Instead, she could see a sunrise, not sunset. It was the beginning of a new day. It was the beginning of a hope she hadn't felt in months. When she looked down at her leg, she gasped. She hadn't realized instead of one single cut, she had made three. Quickly, the towel was wrapped around her leg. Luckily, the cuts were not that deep. Deep enough to drown out the constant pain, but not deep enough to do damage.

Sam was both thrilled and saddened. She was thrilled that her release was still working. She was sad that the minor progress she had made with Denise had most likely been lost. For now, it was the way that it had to be. For now, it was the only way she could even begin to think of dealing with things, at least in the immediate sense. One day, she would allow her girlfriend to be the salve that healed her battered soul. At least she hoped so.

()()()()()()()()()()()()()()

"Now ease the clutch and down shift." The voice echoed in Candy's head. It wasn't a voice she was used to. The body trying not to lean against her was also not the body she wanted to feel. Another voice entered her mind. She had caught Kathy talking to her 'baby'. It was clear her soulmate wanted to ride more than anything. After doing a little research online and speaking with her firefighter's therapist, this was something she knew she had to do. "Perfect."

Candy pulled the motorcycle into the parking lot and eased it into a small parking space. She had chosen a motorcycle school that was on the other side of the medium-sized town. Eventually Kathy would find out about the lessons she was taking, but it wouldn't be until after she had taken the test and gotten her Class M driver's license. Then she would invest in the equipment needed to make it safe for the firefighter to ride behind her.

Short blonde locks flew as Candy shook her head after removing the helmet she was forced to wear. It had a built in microphone so her instructor could communicate with her easily. She missed the helmet Kathy had gotten for her. It was adorable with the wolf puppy on it. At one time, the purple wolf emblazoned on the firefighter's helmet was symbolic. She was alone and that was the way she preferred it.

Now, the firefighter had found a reason not to be alone all the time. Even with not speaking much, Candy knew her presence was not unwanted. It was the fact both had so many emotional and physical issues to deal with. The petite blonde shook the thought from her mind. It seemed she was constantly dwelling on both of their issues instead of focusing on a bright future together. They could have that, regardless if Kathy was ever able to walk again.

"You're looking good." The short sandy blond man also removed his helmet. He put his hand on Candy's shoulder. She looked at the offending appendage. However the man was not bright enough or was too full of himself to take the hint. Easily, the bookstore owner shifted just enough so that she was out of his reach. "You still have two more classes and about six more hours on the road. Then you'll be doing this all by yourself. Of course, if you should ever need a refresher course…"

He trailed off when she took a step backwards. The young man had been about to place his hand someplace only Kathy would ever be allowed to touch. Startled eyes blinked when he saw the fire in emerald eyes. Candy counted to ten and smiled sweetly at the young man. While she didn't want to encourage the behavior, she also didn't want to do something that might keep her from graduating. "I'll definitely request one from Mrs. Davis. Isn't she your mother?"

The young man looked like he had swallowed a hundred bugs. Candy had to keep from laughing at him. She only hoped that she had not said something that would cause him to fail her. Mrs. Davis seemed like a fair woman and most likely she would honor her hard work and commitment. Still, this was for her firefighter. Hopefully she had not messed up her chance at one day giving a little something back to what Kathy had lost.

"Speaking of Mrs. Davis, I better go and check in with her. Give her your grade for the evening." Candy watched in amusement as the young man made his way into the front office, his obnoxious after shave leaving a trail. The bookstore owner couldn't help but allow the amusement to bubble forth. A fit of laughter escaped her as she made her way to her Jeep. It was time to pick Kathy up from her physical therapy. Hopefully she could talk her soulmate into getting some lunch, somewhere other than the café.

The phone ringing startled her and she was glad she had only turned on the engine and not attempted to back out of her parking space. She groaned when she saw the Caller ID. Part of her wanted to ignore the call. It had been four days since she had given Crystal the riot act. There was a big part of her that felt guilty for how she had said what she had. She'd never actually regret the words, if only because of the tremendous impact the actions of her sister had on herself and Kathy.

The part of her that was family oriented decided to answer the call. They were sisters. They may never have been close. But they were still family. As much as Candy and Kathy were family, although the soulmates were even more of a family as they had lived and loved before. "Hey Crystal." The tone was resigned. The petite blonde tried not to make it sound like it was a chore to speak to her own sister. And yet, it very much was a burden.

"Hey, Sis." The voice sounded a little strained. Of course the last time they spoke, Candy had told her to not bother calling. It would be better for her to text. Of course she was a little leery of speaking to her older sister. "I'm sorry to call. I know you asked me only to text. It's just that Dad's birthday is coming up. And before you go off on me, I know what I did to him was unforgiveable. What I did to you and Kathy is unforgiveable. It's just…I've saved some money and would like to give it to him."

Part of Candy was proud that her sister had managed to save money to give their father some relief from his financial burden. The bookstore owner had attempted to give him money, even as a loan. Bobby was like both his daughters. He was too stubborn for his own good. Still, she could understand his reaction as she'd almost been too stubborn to seek help after what happened with Jade. "You don't need a special occasion for that."

The words were out before she could stop them. Candy knew it had taken a lot of hard work on her sister's part. It had taken even more courage to call. "I'm sorry. I really did mean you don't need to give it to him for his birthday. Honestly, I really think Dad misses you and would like to see you." It was hard to say, but the bookstore owner knew it was true. Bobby Kane had seemed lost since his daughter had been convicted of harming both of them financially.

"With Aunt Irene and you basically shunning me, I thought…" The sad voice trailed off. Candy could only imagine what thoughts her sister had been thinking. It was not right how Irene had not allowed her information given to Crystal. The petite blonde loved her aunt with all her heart. There were some things you just didn't do. Denying someone who was family the right to know you were all right was one of them.

"I don't agree with what Aunt Irene did and I've told her so." The air conditioning blew the cold air in her face and she knew she had been no better than her aunt in some regards. "I know, I wasn't much better than her. I'm still sorry for how I treated you. I should have told you what you should have known in the first place." Candy cleared her throat as the breeze from the air conditioner was drying it. "Perhaps next week sometime, when your schedule allows, we can get together."

It was easy to hear the sucking in of breath. It was the last thing Crystal had thought when she had called. All she had wanted to do was to attempt to look good to her sister so when she was spending so much time in the store, it wouldn't look too obvious. And yet, to have Candy be understanding and hold out an olive branch, it was almost too much. And it was too late. Even if she wanted to, she could not back out on her deal with Elizabeth. "I'd like that. Maybe plan a birthday party for him? He's going to be sixty after all."

"I think that's a great idea. You call me when you're free. I usually am only really busy toward lunchtime during the week." Candy glanced at the clock and cursed under her breath. "In fact, I really need to get going. I should have left ten minutes ago to pick up Kathy from her therapy session." She heard the clearing of the throat and wondered what it meant. It could have been like her, simply a dry throat. Or it could mean something, but what?

"Sorry. You go get your firefighter." Crystal held her breath. Part of her still wanted revenge. It wasn't so much what Candy had said a few days ago. That was actually easy for her to put behind her a she knew without a doubt she was in the wrong. What had always kept her going was the need to prove she was better than her sister. It went beyond simple sibling rivalry. Calling Kathy a firefighter could be taken the wrong way.

At first, it startled Candy. At one time, Crystal saying what she had said would have been in a derisive manner. It would have been trying to get to her. This time, there had held a hint of jealousy. Not the bad kind, the kind that told her she was lucky to have Kathy in her life. Had they really come that far that her sister could be happy for her? Only time would tell. "Thanks. And I hope you get to see Josh later. He's quite the catch."

"Yes, he is." Crystal's voice was both sad and happy at the same time. Candy could not help but wonder if something was wrong between the two. Her employee seemed his usual cheery self. In fact, since dating her sister, he had become more self-confident. Still quite shy, but not so much so that he would turn beet red when a stranger complimented him. "We're having dinner later. I'll let you go. I'll call in a couple days."

"Have fun tonight. Later, Sis." Candy ended the call, ready to get going. She was going to have some explaining to do. Poor Kathy would have been waiting twenty minutes for her already. Careful how she drove, especially after the accident, she managed to get across town in only fifteen minutes. The normal hitting every red light didn't hold up, luckily. The petite blonde was out of breath by the time that she made it to the therapy room.

Candy looked everywhere she could think of but couldn't find the object of her affection. She hated to interrupt Elvis with another patient, but she had to find out where her Kathy was. When told she had taken a taxi somewhere, the bookstore owner was cursing herself. There were only three places she would go. One was to the cemetery. After her dad telling her of the obstacle there, she knew her girlfriend wouldn't allow a stranger to carry her.

That left only the bookstore or the fire station. There was a fourth possibility. Candy tried her soulmate's cell phone only to find it was turned off. The petite blonde sighed. She wondered how she was going to talk herself out of this one. First she called the bookstore. No one had seen her and the office was locked. The fire station was also a dead end. Candy decided not to call the fourth option just to get herself moving.

Another precious ten minutes ticked by as she drove to the other side of Albany. It was a good thing she knew the shortcuts or she would have been another half an hour the way traffic had picked up. Candy slowed her Jeep down as she came upon Justin's house. There were no signs of anyone from the outside. The petite blonde knew that at least Franny and Amy were at home. Being a Saturday, most likely the kids were home as well.

Slowly she parked the Jeep. Candy hesitated a moment. If she was wrong, she didn't want a chance encounter with Franny. Amy told her that the matriarch usually spent her entire day in bed, even though the doctor had told her it was best she get some exercise. She nor Kathy had spent much quality time with Justin and his family. Partly it was fear of running into Franny. Mostly, it was neither being ready to face family members that might not understand.

Finally, Candy made her way slowly up the walk. She smiled as she noticed the small steps had been transformed into a ramp by using plywood. Justin or his father had made the home wheelchair accessible, making it easier for Kathy. It didn't matter which one had done it. It was just amazing that they had thought of it and went through with it. The sound of laughter made her smile. Even if her soulmate wasn't here, she could at least get to say hello to her niece and nephew.

The door opened before she could knock. Candy found herself looking down into green eyes that were similar to her own. "Aunt Candy!" Kevin immediately had her legs in a hug. The young boy had taken a shine to the bookstore owner. Partly it was because she had a never ending supply of books. Partly it was because she had green eyes like he did. "Aunt Kathy said you might come and play." He pulled away from her, grasping her hand and pulling with all his might.

Candy was helpless. Though only five, he had an incredible strength. It reminded her a little of the strength her soulmate had. The petite blonde continued to follow along until she found herself in the kitchen. Justin, Amy, Christina and Kathy were sitting around the kitchen table. To the bookstore owner's surprise, they were playing a card game. When their eyes met, Candy knew that she was indeed in trouble.

"Kevin, why don't you take over for me? I want to talk to your Aunt Candy for just a few minutes." The way Kathy spoke, one would never know she was still dealing with a great deal of emotions. Then again, the firefighter always could deal with her niece, nephew and any child easier than she could adults. Kevin groaned but took over where his aunt had left off. A raven head nodded toward the living room. Without a word, her soulmate followed her.

Kathy patted the recliner next to the fireplace. She pulled up as close as she could. The silence lingered like the taste of milk after it had gone sour. Candy didn't know what to say. The petite blonde could always blame her sister for being late, but that wasn't exactly true. The real reason she was late was because the obnoxious instructor had refused to understand she was declining his advances. It had taken a little bit of intelligence on her part for her to get rid of the young man.

"I'm sorry I missed you at the hospital." Candy couldn't look her girlfriend in the eye. "I was running an errand and then Crystal called…" She trailed off. Lying. It was not something she wanted to do to her soulmate. And yet, she had just told a bold-faced lie. Some would see it as a partial truth. She would only see it as covering her tracks as she attempted to surprise her girlfriend with something she hoped she would like. "I tried, too late, to call to let you know. Your phone went straight to voicemail."

Candy looked up at her girlfriend. It dawned on her that Kathy had attempted to call her. She wouldn't have heard the ringer over the roar of the motorcycle or the irritating voice of her instructor. In that moment, she realized her firefighter was mad at her and turned off her phone. "But you didn't call, at least not before..." Her soulmate trailing off confirmed her suspicions. Blue eyes never wavered. There was something in them the petite blonde had never seen before. Distrust? Was that what she was seeing in those hypnotic azure eyes? "Why not?"

The firefighter leaned closer. A foreign scent hit her but she was too preoccupied with what had happened to really notice. "I had hoped you would show up today." Candy swallowed. If her soulmate had wanted her to be at therapy, why hadn't she asked? The last few times Kathy had simply told her to leave. Why was this time different? "You missed it." There was sadness in the voice. It was something the bookstore owner could not stand to hear. Their eyes met, green ones questioning. The only answer was a slow nod.

Green eyes closed. She had been doing something for Kathy and yet she felt horrible. Slowly, her eyes opened and she looked deep into blue ones. "How many?" The firefighter held up four fingers. Four steps. It wasn't much. But she had taken four steps, probably still with the aid of the parallel bars. It would have been without the help of Elvis. She wasn't one to accept or expect help from anyone, except her Sweet Candy. That knowledge doubled the desire to somehow make things right between them.

"I'm sorry." Before she could say anything else, Kathy was wheeling herself back into the kitchen. Candy knew she was in big trouble. Still, she had to follow to see if she could take her soulmate home. "Looks like everyone is having lots of fun. I was wondering if I could steal your aunt away." The coldness in the blue eyes told her she was not going to win this one. "Or not. I have to go. I'm sorry that I bothered you all and interrupted the fun."

Before anyone could react, Candy was running out the door. It wasn't long before they heard the squealing of tires. Amy and Justin exchanged glances. Justin knew he was going to have to be the one to talk to his sister. "Sis, let's go get the other card game. The one you used to beat me at." Kathy knew there was no such game. They had never played together. It had always been Tony and herself. The firefighter had come far enough along to know he was trying to get her alone.

When they were out of earshot, Justin turned toward his sister. "What exactly do you think you are doing?" Blue eyes blinked in confusion. "I know what happened. She missed you taking your first four tentative steps. It's a major breakthrough. And don't you think Candy is punishing herself for not being there." Kathy could not look at her brother. "I don't know where she was or what she was doing, but how many times have you told her not to come to your therapy sessions?"

Kathy stared at the cold, empty, desolated fireplace. It was how her heart was feeling at the moment. She had forgotten all those times when she had told Candy to stay away or to go do something else while she worked hard to get back to walking once again. She had been so thrilled with the fact she had taken even just four steps that everything else was forgotten. The one person in the world she wanted to share everything with had not been there.

But whose fault was it? Kathy sighed heavily as she realized that she was to blame. Though normally Candy would have been there, it was still the firefighter who had been pushing her away for the past few months. The raven-haired woman was at a loss as what to do. She could just let her girlfriend continue to take the blame. But that wasn't fair to her soulmate. "I don't know what to do." It was heartfelt and it was honest.

Justin put his hand on his sister's shoulder, glad when she didn't flinch. "I'll give you a lift." Kathy looked up, questions in her eyes. "You might not know what to do or say. I bet you want one thing more than anything else right now." She blinked as a single tear escaped her ironclad grip. "You want to hold Candy. I know it's not been easy the past four months. But you've made a lot of progress since you've met your girlfriend. Don't let one missed opportunity ruin what you've fought so hard for."

This Kathy could understand. There was a lot about relationships she still didn't fathom. There was a lot about life in general she didn't understand. The one thing she knew more than anything was that she needed Candy by her side. She needed the love and understanding her soulmate gave her. She would do anything she could to make it right. "Give me a lift. But drop me off in front of the store. I have an idea." Their eyes met and an understanding passed between them.

It wasn't long before Kathy was wheeling up to the counter at the café. She placed her order of lunch and a special surprise for her Sweet Candy. If she knew her soulmate, she was in one of two places. Though Aunt Irene was available, most likely the bookstore owner was hiding in her office. The door was slightly ajar and the firefighter knew she had been right. When she heard the soft sobs, her heart ached beyond the telling of it.

Not bothering to knock, Kathy pushed open the door. It took a moment for Candy to focus her blurry eyes. "Kathy?" It was one word. It spoke volumes. It said she wasn't sure when she'd see her. She wasn't sure when she would be forgiven. And she was sorry beyond what words could express. "You came." The petite blonde felt silly. She felt like a school girl who didn't know what she was doing. And at the moment, she had no idea how to handle the situation.

"I came bearing gifts." Kathy held out the two salads. "And if you'll forgive me so we can talk, I also brought this." Candy stood and made her way to her soulmate. A laugh escaped the petite blonde. Though it wasn't quite as good as what she made, it was still the molten chocolate lava cake that they had fed one another. The firefighter had no clue what it meant then. She was well aware of it now. Her answer was her Sweet Candy retrieving a fork and feeding her a bite of cake.


	4. Chapter 4

Though it was with a limp, Franny made her way around the room easily. If truth be told, she had been well enough to take care of herself for some time. As with everything in her life, it was about how much attention she could garner. As a child, she had claimed to do wonderful things just to hear the praises of her church group. As she aged, she found other ways to manipulate people. Even marrying Edward was because he owned his own business.

The worst thing she had done to gain attention was to use her children. First it was to gain sympathy when her youngest had been taken from her in a fire. Then she used the way Kathy had never been able to accept his death or that she was not responsible for his death. The fact her daughter was emotionally crippled was as good a way to garner sympathy as the loss of her youngest child. Franny had milked both situations for everything she could.

Now, things were different. Kathy was a hero. She was in a relationship. That woman had taught her how to love and come to terms with the death of her brother. Had Candy never entered her daughter's life, she would have continued to garner sympathy for an adult child who could never allow anyone, including her family, to become close. Franny cursed the bookstore owner. It was her fault she was in the position she was now.

Though she wanted to look out into the sunlight, she knew to avoid the windows. Even walking around in the bedroom had its downfalls. Amy was almost always around. Her grandchildren were on summer vacation. The only one she wouldn't have to worry about was her eldest son. Justin was busy with his own company and always going to meetings. Franny shook her head at the thought. While she wanted attention, an alcoholic son was simply an embarrassment.

The fact anyone could claim she was one infuriated her. Justin and Kathy had both attempted to make her see exactly what she was doing to herself. Franny had simply shaken her head sadly, never saying a word. That wasn't exactly true. When her daughter had mentioned her drinking, the matriarch had gone on the offensive and attacked her unnatural relationship with the corruptive petite blonde. She shivered at the thought of what Candy had done to her daughter.

The fact she would sneak off in the middle of the night to purchase alcohol and hide it in various places in her bedroom meant nothing. All it meant was that she was still in pain and the pain meds her doctor had prescribed were simply inadequate to handle her suffering. It was another activity she was going to have to watch. Too many eyes were watching her all the time. If only they were for the reason she wanted them to be, it wouldn't be so bad.

A noise drew her attention to the door. As quickly as her sore leg would allow, Franny made her way back under the soft covers. It was easy to fake being asleep. Or at least it was until she heard the slightly muffled voice coming from the opened door. The matriarch cursed under her breath as she realized it was her ex-husband about to pay her a visit. He was the last person she wanted to deal with. The reasons were too many to list.

Eddie slowly made his way into the bedroom. Since he was no longer married to the woman in the bed, this could be considered intrusive. He had stood by and watched while his children grew up with a woman who simply used them for whatever she could gain. Attention, money and status were what concerned Frances Scolari. A part of him wondered why he hadn't realized what his wife was capable of. It was an easy answer. Love.

Though he had come to love his current wife with a passion he never thought existed, at the time he'd thought Franny was 'the one'. Had it been her outer beauty? Had it been her way with words? Had it been because he'd given up on finding his soulmate and entered into a relationship with the first woman who had paid him a little attention? His therapist wife would say it was a combination of all those things.

The construction owner stood at the foot of the bed. Franny was good, but he knew all of her tricks. In fact, he knew she was awake at this very moment. He shook his head as he contemplated exactly how he was going to get Franny to listen to him. She never had while they were married. Why should she start now? Because their daughter was still recovering and needed all the emotional support she could be given. Even from a woman who had used her for over two decades.

The tall man watched, wondering exactly how long it would be before his ex would finally give up the pretense of being asleep. It was nearly suppertime. The sun was already slowly making its descent. It wouldn't only be two or three more hours and the darkness would take over. If they were lucky, the moon and the stars would come out to play to help make the abyss of a night seem not so terrifying. But then Eddie had an issue with the dark and still slept with a nightlight.

Finally losing his patience, Eddie made his way to the side of the bed. "I know you're awake." As if just waking, his ex-wife made a show of stretching and yawning. Instead of taking the bait, he decided he needed to have this conversation and be done with it. The only reason he was here was for his children and grandchildren. If Franny ever chose to be a different person, it would benefit them. "And I know you are healthy enough to live on your own."

Eyes the color of icebergs opened. They bore into him. Though it had been years since their divorce, Eddie was still accustomed to 'the look' he was receiving. When they had first married, it would have intimidated him to no end. Now, he knew 'the look' was simply one to cause fear and control. Franny was beyond controlling him anymore. Alas, she still had sway over their children and grandchildren. "You can stop attempting to intimidate me. I know you. I know the truth."

Franny was careful not to give anything away. She was not ready to go back to her lonely existence. Especially now that her son was reforming, he was staying away from her. Justin had told her that until she was able to clean up her own act, he would no longer be able to be around her. Everything. She was losing everything and it was all because of the slut Kathy was taken with. Perhaps she needed to do more about the little blonde trollip.

Carefully she sat. Again, she was making a production of every move she made. She was going to hold on to her crutch as long as she could. It had been nearly two decades with her daughter and son. Franny wondered how long she would be able to milk her current condition. If her ex-husband would stay out of things, perhaps forever. "You have no say in how I live my life." Her muscles ached slightly from being confined in bed by her own will.

"I never did have a say." Eddie stood tall and proud. "The worst thing is, I never had a say with my children." He chose his words carefully. He knew using the word 'my' would get to his ex-wife. It was eerie how much Franny sounded like her daughter as she growled low in her throat. It was a good sign. It meant she was getting frustrated. "I'm only here out of concern for Justin and his family. If you were truly an invalid, I wouldn't interfere. But we all know you are doing this for attention."

Somehow Franny managed to contain her anger. Instead of ripping the covers from her body, she managed to gently pull them back. She slowly swung her legs over the side of the bed. Instead of moving closer to aid his ex, Eddie moved out of the way. He would be damned if he played any part in this obvious charade. "I was in an accident." The roll of the eyes was too much. "Get out! I don't need this as I try to recover!"

At that moment, Justin walked into the bedroom. He had left his children playing in the backyard when he had heard the two shouting. He was breathing heavy. Having seen his father's truck, he had realized what the yelling was about. Having asked his father to intervene had most likely been a mistake. But it was the only way he could think to get his mother to move out on her own, besides confronting him herself. "I think she's right. Dad, could I have a word before you go?"

Franny's smug look was almost too much for the elder Scolari to handle. Eddie simply thought of Kathy and all she had been through. How she and Candy were still fighting to be together. Instead of her learning from him, he needed to learn from his daughter. "I'd like to say goodbye to Kevin and Christina before I go. So lead the way, Son." Softly, the construction man shut the door behind him and wordlessly followed his son.

Instead of making their way to the backyard, Justin indicated he wanted his father to sit at the kitchen table. The younger Scolari retrieved one of his special brews and handed it to his father. Eddie eyed it and then him for a moment. "I keep them for guests. And I encourage Amy to have one on occasion if she wants one. I am an alcoholic, but that doesn't mean I can't resist it. My need for my family is greater than my need for that poison."

After taking a long draught of his beer, Eddie laughed. He knew what his son meant. To some, alcohol was a social way to relax. It was a way to end a hard day. And for others, it was simply something they enjoyed the taste of. For others, like his son and Franny, alcohol was like poison. It takes over their better judgment. If not careful, it can cause ruination of one's family. Sadly the matriarch was so strongly under its affluence, even after being confined for so long, she couldn't see it.

"Good for you son." Eddie took another drink, still feeling guilty for enjoying the beer. Especially since soon he would be driving. He knew better than anyone, just one drink could impair someone's driving ability. After a few moments of silence, he spoke again. "I take it you want me to leave your mother to you?" Part of him was relieved at the thought. While he could still handle his ex-wife, it was better if he remained distanced from her.

"I'm sorry for putting you in this position." Justin sighed heavily as he stood and retrieved a bottle of spring water from the fridge. He swallowed nearly the entire contents before he turned his attention back to his father. "I meant to call you last night or first thing this morning. Amy and I were talking. It was unfair to put you in the position. You've made a fairly clean break from Mom, only joining for family holidays and such."

Before his father could say anything, Justin quickly continued. "Furthermore, I don't want any issues to arise between you and Lisa. I know she understands better than most simply because she is a therapist. Still, Mother is a problem I need to solve. If you talked to Lisa, I'm sure she'd agree. As a recovering alcoholic, I need to confront my problems and not push them off on anyone else. And yes, I need to lean on the support of family. It's a fine line I'm having to learn to walk."

Eddie smiled. The pride he felt at that moment for both of his children was more than he could put into words. The way Justin was finally taking responsibility for his actions and the way he accepted his sister was more than he could have ever hoped for. His thoughts were dark for a moment, hoping Kathy would continue to recover and not have any major setbacks. "Life is like that, but it's magnified when you do have something to deal with. Proud of you son."

Once again the embarrassment was obvious on Justin's face. The man scrubbed his cheeks, not wanting the attention, yet it meaning everything in his recovery. "Why don't you join us this Saturday for a family dinner. I'll try and get Kathy and Candy to join." He looked grim for a moment, wondering if he should share or not. "They had a little misunderstanding, guess you could call it. Candy missed the therapy where Kathy finally took four steps."

"I know." Eddie sighed heavily. Literally it had been four steps forward and four steps back. While his daughter had made some strides, her relationship had suffered slightly. At least they had made some sort of amends. Candy had told him the story of the molten lava cake. While the father part of him was embarrassed, the man in him was proud his daughter and her soulmate always seemed to find a way to get through whatever was thrust upon them.

Their eyes met. It was as if they were thinking the same thing. Kathy's luck never seemed to be good. Candy's, as she had once related, had always had the best of luck. In the petite blonde's mind, her luck hadn't so much changed as her life had. After all, finding the other half of her soul was the luckiest thing in the world. And yet, Eddie knew they had faced so much and had so much more to face. Would they continue to cling to one another or would something finally break them apart?

()()()()()()()()()()()()()()

Kathy hated the mall. She'd only been there a handful of times. The only time she'd enjoyed her time there was when Candy had brought her. It was one of their first outings together. Her girlfriend had insisted she have a cell phone. While she had the pager through the fire department, her new friend had wanted full access to her. At the time, she couldn't have said which would be the more terrifying thing. Opening herself up to Candy or being in public.

The memory of that day flashed through her mind. The smile upon her face could light up a Christmas tree it was so bright. They had been walking toward the store that sold cell phones when she had met Crystal for the first time. Kathy's first impression of the young woman was of a person who was jealous and rude. Of course not knowing about emotions, it wasn't until later that she realized what the younger Kane sister had been emanating.

It was the first time she had discovered exactly what the relationship between her and Candy could actually mean. It had taken a conversation with her sister-in-law for her to truly understand the implications and understand what beyond friendship actually meant. At first it had surprised her. Not that two women could be in a relationship. It was the fact anyone could have that kind of relationship. Even seeing Amy and Justin together, she never understood what made a relationship.

After realizing what Candy one day wanted from her, it had taken a little to get used to. It explained the feelings and sensations the petite blonde had unknowingly awakened in her. Before her Sweet Candy had entered her life, there had been no sexual desires on her part. Slowly, yet it felt like a blaze out of control, Kathy knew what she had wanted. It was that chance meeting in the mall that had led to her discussion with her girlfriend and Amy to finally come to terms with what she was feeling.

And here she was once again in the mail. It probably wouldn't be quite the eye opening experience it had been before. But she needed a confidant and since Amy had worked out so well before, she decided to give her a call once again. Her sister-in-law had insisted on the venue because she was already picking up some clothing and supplies for the upcoming school year. Had Kathy had a say, it would have been almost anywhere but here.

One place would have been out. That was Justin and Amy's home. Part of the reason she had avoided it was because of her mother still residing there. The other was not feeling up to dealing with the energy her niece and nephew exuded. It was a painful reminder she could no longer be the aunt who chased them around. She could no longer be the one to give them piggy back rides. She, for now, was not the woman she used to be.

But there was hope. Not only had she walked the four steps that Candy had missed, there was another session where she had managed ten before she had collapsed in exhaustion. This time her soulmate had been there. This time there had not been the strange scent upon her. A part of Kathy wanted to ask about it, but there were too many other things for her to be concerned with. At least for now, although one day she would ask.

It was something she planned on asking Amy about, should her sister-in-law ever appear. Kathy glanced at her cell phone. Not only could she see the time, she could see the picture Sam had taken at the request of Candy. It was difficult to look at, and yet, it gave her hope. The firefighter was standing and holding a bundle of petite blonde in her arms. Upon the raven head was her fire helmet. It had been taken before Jade had re-entered her girlfriend's life.

The walls in the apartment were lined with several pictures of the loving couple. Most were before her accident. There were even those that had been taken with her in a wheelchair. Those were harder for her to look at than the ones where she was standing. One would think she would feel anger or resentment towards those that showed her as she had once been. But those were how she saw herself. The ones in the wheelchair were temporary, just like her condition.

The thought of walking again, along with making love to Candy, caused a radiant smile upon her face. Amy chose that moment to sit next to her. Kathy could not meet her gaze which made her sister-in-law chuckle softly. "I know what, or should I say who, you were thinking of." The slight blush grew exponentially with the ease at which the firefighter was read. "Nothing wrong with that, although I know you have a few questions for me. Hope I can give you the right answers."

It took a moment for Kathy to compose herself. There were really two questions she had to ask her sister-in-law. Both were a tad embarrassing, especially for the firefighter. Part of her wanted to get the more difficult one over with. But something held her back. She took a deep breath, steadying herself enough to speak. The words that tumbled out surprised her a little. "I don't know if Candy is being faithful to me."

Amy nearly fell from the bench. Her handful of packages slid from her grasp. She wanted to reach out and check her sister-in-law for a fever. That was one of the few explanations she could think of for such a question. Granted Kathy hardly, if ever, overreacted, things were different ever since the accident. Was that what this was about? "Excuse me?" When blue eyes continued to plead with her, she knew she had to ask a more literal question. "What is your evidence?"

It took Kathy a moment to compose herself. This was the last thing she ever thought she would be discussing with anyone. Hell, she never thought she would have a love life to discuss with anyone. And the pleasant memories of the mall were still invading her senses. Perhaps she was making something out of nothing. Still… "She's missed some of my therapy sessions. I know, I told her not to come. I've had trouble reaching her at times. And then there was…this…scent. It was strange and strong…almost like…Dad or Justin."

It took a moment for Amy to process what was said. The tears forming in the normally stoic firefighter were not helping her thought process at all. What to say? It was beyond her to think what Candy was up to that would keep her away from her soulmate the way Kathy had described. Especially difficult to believe was even the thought of infidelity on the petite blonde's part. Or Kathy's for that matter. Then a thought occurred to her.

No one besides Eddie was supposed to know. Amy had discovered the secret quite by accident. Candy had been so frustrated with her inability to help Kathy with her therapy, she had done research. There was the other thing. The fiery petite blonde also knew how much her soulmate loathed not being able to ride her motorcycle. Candy was taking it upon herself to learn to ride the beast and to also be able to have Kathy ride behind her.

This could very well explain why Candy would smell of men's cologne. There were female instructors, but it was still a male dominated world. What was Amy to reveal? The young woman had to think quickly on her feet. It was a good thing she was used to doing that as she dealt with her energetic children. Hoping she was doing the right thing, she said, "There are a few explanations for Candy's absences. One would be getting lost in her work."

Kathy shook her head, not accepting that explanation. No one knew that they had been sharing in the bookkeeping duties. In fact, she had been slowly taking them over leaving Candy time to sample more and more of the material she liked to push as 'manager's selections'. Her soulmate would read while the firefighter would take care of most of the computer inventory. It had slowly become their routine. "We're sharing in doing the books now, though not around each other all the time."

Amy let out a breath. That had been the best scenario for her to explain everything. There was only one other thing she had to try. It was one that could be easily checked for validity. Again, she hoped she was doing the right thing. Why didn't she simply tell her to talk to Candy? That would be for the best, even if it meant the surprise was ruined. "There is the fact that Rich and Randy help her out a lot. Perhaps that's where she's been and the strange scent you've been smelling."

Another shake of a raven head, though this time Kathy seemed to be pondering the words carefully. The firefighter wanted, more than anything, to believe this was what her girlfriend had been up to. Something told her it was not. For now, she would accept it. Perhaps she would ask the boys if they'd been spending any extra time with Candy. Or she could simply ask her soulmate herself. "There's the other thing. It's embarrassing, especially after suggesting Candy had been untrue."

The wording had Amy very intrigued. Instead of pushing her sister-in-law, she simply waited until the firefighter found the proper words. It took Kathy a moment. It was a struggle to say such intimate things. But Amy had given her excellent advice in the past. Hopefully she would continue to, with both her issues. "I was wondering when would be considered too soon for us to…um…be intimate again." The firefighter was fire engine red and could not meet the gaze being leveled upon her.

Amy wanted to burst into laughter. It was a very serious question needing a very serious answer. Sadly, there was no right or wrong answer. It was going to be difficult for Kathy to hear. "That's not an easy question. For one, you both are dealing with a lot of emotions right now. Painful ones. And if you rush into a physical relationship, it could do more harm than good." At the crestfallen look on the firefighter's face, she quickly continued. "That being said, intimate means many things. Hand holding. Kissing. Soft caresses. And finally…"

Kathy was grateful when she trailed off. While she wanted to know exactly when she and Candy could make love again, having her sister-in-law actually speak the words were more than she could handle. Simply having this discussion in such a public and crowded place was almost too much to handle. A deep sigh escaped her as the many thoughts kept rolling around in her mind. "We've already done some of those. In fact, the other night we almost…"

And there was a lobster sitting next to Amy. This time she could not help but laugh gently. She placed a supportive hand on Kathy's shoulder. It took a moment for azure eyes to look at her. They were met with love and understanding. "You and Candy are only human. It makes sense you would want to resume the physical side of your relationship. You both are attractive women and deeply in love. My advice, talk to Candy and make sure you both think it's time before giving into those kinds of desires."

Deep in her heart, Kathy had known all of this. In fact, Candy had said something similar to her. Though her body was a little fragile, the firefighter felt in her soul it was time. Did she want to rush things because of fear of losing her Sweet Candy? It was possible. It was also possible that it was time. If it was time, it might be time to do something else. As she sat there, scanning the stores, one caught her eye. Something sparkled and her smile grew.

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Candy hated lying to her soulmate. Though it had only been a short time, every second of every minute of every day made it harder and harder for her to continue with the surprise she had in store for Kathy. A voice in the back of her head told her she needed to trust her lover and they needed to communicate. Another voice was screaming at her to surprise her with a ride on her beloved motorcycle. After all, it used to be an escape for her sweet firefighter.

While not one to lie or keep secrets, there was a time and a place for everything. Simply keeping the truth from Kathy so she could indulge in one of her favorite things wasn't truly a sin. And yet it was keeping something from her. Candy had noticed over the past couple days how her firefighter had begun to act differently towards her. There had been their rift over missing the first steps. They were huge and watching how much her soulmate had struggled with the next ten made her heart break all over again at the fact she had missed out.

There was no undoing what was done. There was only moving forward. Aunt Irene had taught her that over the years. There were times when Candy was able to do just that. When it had come to her mother's death, it was something she would always blame herself for. While it was entirely her mother's decision not to wear her potentially lifesaving seatbelt, it was her oldest daughter's school play that she was on her way to see.

The petite blonde shook her head. Candy knew she could go insane if she kept with the 'what ifs' of life. Not just having to do with her mother or her soulmate. There were other things. Such as ever having dated Jade in the first place. There was being kinder to her sister. There was holding back and not being so harsh with the detective. So many past mistakes continued to haunt her. She didn't want one that would push Kathy from her life.

And yet she was keeping something to herself, it would be positive in the end, but it was still being kept secret. There was the man who was her instructor. He was definitely young and naïve and had no idea when a woman said 'no' she actually meant 'no'. A discussion with his mother was sadly in order. But was it too late? Her one fear was that he would somehow get her information and show up either at the bookstore or her home.

In her heart, she knew what she must do. Tonight she would make Kathy dinner and they would discuss what she had been up to. She just hoped her soulmate would appreciate her efforts for what they were. There was nothing but love and compassion behind them. Her fear was her firefighter would not recognize it as such. That she would simply take it as charity or worse. That Candy felt sorry for her.

While of course she felt sympathy for her soulmate, there was no thought of charity. There was only thought of comforting her and getting her back to one hundred percent. What some saw as empathy, others saw as feeling sorry for another person. With Kathy's lack of experience with emotions and social settings, there was a very real possibility that she would choose to see her actions in a negative light. A heavy sigh escaped the petite blonde.

A startled yelp escaped her when she felt the hand upon her arm. Candy looked up to see warm emerald eyes staring down at her. It took a moment for her to realize it was her Aunt Irene. The fingers had felt cold. It was probably because of the cast that was still upon her arm and would remain for several more weeks, if not months. "Sorry, Darlin. Didn't mean to startle you. It just seemed you could use a little comfort and with only one arm that makes it difficult.

Candy stood to her full height. She had been leaning on the main counter of the bookstore, attempting to decide which books she wanted to showcase for the next month. Always on the first there was a new display. With it being July soon, she had thought about doing patriotic themed ones. But her mind was solely on lesbian romances at the moment. Perhaps because she wanted a life like those in the books. There were issues, but normally in the end the two soulmates built a life together.

"Comfort?" Candy sighed once again. What she needed was an unbridled night of passion with her soulmate. What she needed was to stop questioning everything she said and did when it came to her sweet firefighter. What she needed was for a pill or something that could instantly take away the pain and uncertainty from both her and Kathy. Then she would be all right. "I don't think comfort is what I need. What I need is to know if I'm doing the right thing."

Aunt Irene smiled at her eldest niece. Candy always had had a good head on her shoulders. The problem was, she was led by her heart. It wasn't bad to be led by one's heart. It just meant things weren't always black and white. There were lines that blurred. When one crossed those lines, it was difficult to know if one was doing the right thing for the right reasons. Her gaze captured her niece's for a long moment before she answered.

"I believe, that no matter what, your heart is in the right place." Aunt Irene could see the doubt in eyes that mirrored her own. "With that said, you can do things for the wrong reasons. Tell me, why is it you are really taking the motorcycle driving lessens?" Young emerald eyes could not maintain the intensity of the gaze. "That's what I thought." The redhead's laughter startled Candy. "There's no shame in wanting something for yourself as much as the person you love."

Candy was loath to admit, but the reason she had wanted to learn to drive a motorcycle had been partially so she could do what Kathy had done. Was it so wrong to want the freedom of the road? Of course she would want to share it with her soulmate. A small smile crept onto her face at the thought. "It's true I wanted to learn after riding with Kathy. But I really just want her happy. And there really is a possibility it could help her recover her mobility…"

Another laugh cutoff whatever it was Candy was going to continue with. She held up her hands in defeat. With the revelation her aunt had helped her to realize, it was even more important she be the one to tell her soulmate exactly what she had been doing the past few weeks and why she had been doing it. Luckily only Eddie, Aunt Irene and Amy had discovered what she was up to. If the likes of her sister ever found out…

That was when the bell over the door to the bookstore portion dinged in its pleasant way. Candy's eyes grew wide when she saw the young man standing, looking around as if searching for something specific. It wasn't long before he found his target. Slowly, the young man made his way over to the counter. He simply nodded at the older woman before taking the shocked bookstore owner's hand in his. "I finally found out where you keep yourself when you are not with me."

The timing couldn't have been worse. Candy felt the nudge behind her. She had been stunned into inaction with the disturbing touch of her instructor. Seeing the fire in the blue eyes, the petite blonde yanked her hand from the young man. "What the hell is going on here?" Not usually one to swear, especially in public, Kathy's ire could be felt. Aunt Irene stepped in between the stranger and her niece, hoping to buffer the situation.

"That's what I'd like to know." The young man attempted to move past Irene. That was a stupid and futile move as the older woman not only stood her ground; she forcibly took the young man by the arm and led him back towards the front door. "Wait, I want to know why that woman is so upset that I was here seeing my girlfriend." If looks could kill, the young man would be dead. Even with only one good arm, the redhead managed to get the young man shoved out the door.

Her cold stare seemed to not have an effect on him. Irene wondered if the boy was as stupid as he seemed or if he was simply blinded by her niece's charms. If she had to guess by the way he was ranting and raving to be permitted back onto the premises, she realized quickly it was the former. When the strong presence strode by her, she was never so glad to see Josh in her life. The future doctor may have made a poor choice in girlfriends, he was loyal to Candy.

Leaving her niece's employee to handle the situation, she returned her attention back to Candy and Kathy. The firefighter had turned her wheelchair away from her soulmate. Irene wanted nothing more than to storm up to the couple, tell them to stop acting like jackasses and to talk things out. The body language of her niece told her that was unlikely to happen. It was as if Candy had given up. That was so unlike her. It was time for an intervention.

"Enough!" Neither Candy nor Kathy had heard the petite redhead storm up beside them. She looked down into blue eyes that were full of hurt, anger and fear. The emerald eyes she met were filled with the same exact emotions. "I think we need to sit down and talk this out." Not caring that the use of 'sit down' might be hurtful for the firefighter, Irene quickly continued. "Neutral ground. That means my apartment." When neither moved, she yelled, "Now!"

It didn't take long before both young women were on the move. Luckily Kathy's father had installed a lift to go to the other side of the apartments otherwise they might not have gotten the firefighter to the preferred neutral sight. The trek up the stairs was made in complete silence. The tension between all three women was palpable. Irene had had enough of this pansying around. She was going to make sure they both knew what was going on, even if it killed her.

The apartment was very similar to Kathy and Candy's. It wasn't quite as personable. The bookstore owner wondered, not for the first time, if her aunt truly wanted to stay long term. Her words almost always indicated she and Uncle Max intended to stay at least six months, if not longer. But then again, Aunt Irene was a dreamer and a bit flighty. Candy still marveled at the fact her aunt could keep the bookstore in the black as long as she had.

"On opposite sides." Kathy seemed ready to protest. Emerald eyes flashed her a warning. Not used to dealing with this side of the feisty redhead, the firefighter quickly complied. Candy hadn't often seen her aunt like this and wondered what exactly she was going to say. They were both hurting. There had been misunderstandings. Communication, is that what she was going to say? Both already knew that, deep down.

Instead of launching into a speech, Irene took a seat at the head of the table. The way they were positioned, it was almost as if they were on two sides of the law and the redhead was the judge or mediator. Perhaps that was what they needed. Or perhaps they needed to heed what they both knew. First Irene looked intently at her niece before turning her gaze on the firefighter. Kathy, though normally impervious to such scrutiny, began squirming.

A deep sigh and a shake of a red head caused the two younger women to steal a glance at one another. Neither knew what Irene was up to and that was exactly how she wanted it. She let the silence engulf them for several more minutes before she shattered the silence, causing both of them to jump. "I know what it's like to be in a relationship. Even before I met Max, I'd had a couple. But I've never met my soulmate."

Nervous green eyes darted around the room. Max was supposed to be securing tickets for an upcoming concert in Atlanta. It was a surprise for the couple. It had already sold out so he was out wheeling and dealing with his old buddies. Even with the certainty that he was gone, she didn't want word getting back to him how she felt. "I love him very much but he doesn't complete me like you two do each other. I know there was a pull between you."

Kathy's eyebrows rose. She glanced at her soulmate. Candy smiled shyly. The firefighter simply nodded in understanding. While Kathy had never spoken to anyone other than her girlfriend about the pull between them, she would have loved to confide in someone. It seemed her bookstore owner had felt the same way. Perhaps it was something else she could share with Amy. It seemed her sister-in-law was truly becoming her confidant.

"I also know that you've never had it easy." Irene turned her attention solely to Kathy. "I'm not one to mince words. You, my tall dark and dangerous one, had a lot to learn about people, let alone about relationships. That's nothing to be ashamed of." There was a wink given to enforce what she said about it not being a bad thing. "I'd mention your mother but we all know what kind of mood that would put us all in."

A small chuckled escaped both the blonde and the raven-haired woman. "Seriously though." Irene turned to Candy. "And you." She shook her head. "You always do things for others, rarely thinking about yourself. You followed this one around, not that I can blame you, and let things go at her pace. Well I think it's time you started doing things that please you." The words said two things and Candy knew it, even if Kathy did not.

Irene stood there as the two lovers stared at one another. Her work here was done, at least as much as she could do in one night. It was now up to the couple to start the lines of communication. Ones that had been tampered with the moment Jade re-entered Candy's life. That was one thing the spirited redhead would not forgive Crystal for. Taking money from both her sister and her father was nearly unforgivable. Placing lives in peril; that was unforgiveable.

The two were so engrossed in one another, neither heard Aunt Irene sneak off. They simply stared for what seemed like hours. It was Kathy that took the initiative. They needed to clear the air. Here was not where she wanted to do it. Neither was their apartment. No, they needed some place that meant something to both of them. It couldn't be tonight. They'd have to make arrangements. Until then, she had something to say. "He's the reason for the cologne."

Candy blinked. It wasn't what she'd expected her soulmate to say. Emerald eyes closed. She was not going to deny the fact it was the moron's cologne. The entire story, she wanted to tell Kathy when they weren't so emotionally charged. It would be better to distance themselves from what had happened tonight and yet not forget what Irene had said or what they'd learned. "Yes, he is. For now I'll tell you something you already know. I only have eyes for you."

The tension left Kathy's body. She pushed herself away from the table and held her arms open. As was becoming the habit, Candy closed the distance and sat upon her soulmate's lap. "I'm not going to get used to this." When the firefighter pulled back, the bookstore owner quickly continued. "Soon, I'm going to be sitting in your lap when you pull me there on the couch or in bed." A slight flush was quickly on her girlfriend's face.

It was reassuring seeing that flush. Though Candy had known it, the flush was a sign of arousal. At the moment, her own center was pulsating. As Kathy's arms wrapped securely around her and she nuzzled into the strong neck, she felt the firefighter's breathing quicken as well. It was too soon yet to make love. Words needed to be exchanged before they were ready to take those steps once again. It was just nice knowing they were both ready physically. Now all they had to be was ready emotionally.


	5. Chapter 5

Sam was in back of the café portion of The Reading Café. It had been five days since she'd last seen Denise. The chef had avoided her girlfriend like the plague. In fact, she had avoided even having dinner at home with her. It simply felt like too much pressure. Like Denise was expecting more out of her than she was capable of. There was also the growing concern of either her mother or her girlfriend discovering her scars.

The chef sighed heavily as she cleaned the backroom. A health inspection could happen at any time and she was always cleaning or making sure the other staff was. For the most part, Candy allowed her free rein over the café portion. Though all of Sam's past ventures in restaurants had failed miserably, her best friend still trusted her to run the café. Even with more experienced employees, Candy trusted her. It was one of the few things that made her smile and feel good about herself.

There was also the fact she was the reason her best friend and her girlfriend had met. At the time, she had been extremely jealous. Sam had finally managed to overcome her infatuation with Candy. It hadn't been easy. They had known one another forever it seemed. And from the moment they had met, there was something about the petite blonde that had engrained itself onto the chef's very soul. Since meeting Denise, she knew it was simply a bond of friendship.

The sandy blonde nodded to several of the afternoon shift as she made her way by the counter. It was slow at the moment. She knew once surrounding businesses ended their work day it would once again be busy. Mornings were filled with those seeking a quick breakfast and caffeine fix. Lunch time was filled with those only having a few minutes and another surge of caffeine. The dinner crowd saw the tables crowded with those wanting to take advantage of the free Wi-Fi.

As Sam made her way to her car, she thought back to that fateful night. She had coerced Candy into helping her clean and prepare her latest venture. Unknown to either, the building had not passed inspection. For some reason, no one had informed the chef. The next thing she knew, there was an electrical fire and the sounds of sirens. Kathy had come to the rescue, carrying her soulmate to safety. At the time, no one knew just how right the meeting was.

Sam took a moment to roll down the windows. It was typical South Georgia heat. Nearly triple digits and humidity almost as close. Her eyes closed as the heat enveloped her body, causing her to become almost lazy. The image of that day was fresh in her mind. It had been terrifying. She had thought she'd killed her best friend. Then there was the resulting aftermath. Seeing Candy and Kathy together had forced her to open her eyes.

It still had taken forever, even after seeing they were soulmates, to get it through her head that she and Candy could only be best friends. There was simply something about the bookstore owner. It was the oddest thing. Nearly everyone, male or female, seemed to instantly fall in love with her. And yet to Sam, it made perfect sense. She had felt that way the first time they had seen one another and they were merely kids.

Another smile graced Sam's face. It didn't last long as memories came flooding back. It wasn't even the rape that entered her mind. It was the time of Candy's and Sam's time in college. It was the time when Jade had first entered the bookstore owner's life. It was another time of misery and jealousy as she watched her crush carrying on with another woman. Who knew this same woman would come back to torture both their lives? And all thanks to Crystal.

Sam needed an escape. She needed anything to stop the images her mind would not let go of. The car instantly came to life, the sandy blonde never bothering to put on her seatbelt. There were a few options. She could go home, but her mother was sure to be there. There was stopping at a liquor store and numbing her mind that way. There was the other solution. It was the one she should take advantage of. It was to see her girlfriend.

No. That was definitely not a solution. Sam nearly ran into a pedestrian as she made a sharp right turn. Denise was a therapist first, sometimes. What she needed was for her to only be her girlfriend. While she knew it had to be difficult to sit back and watch while someone you were in love with was in pain, what she needed was unconditional love and support. And even then, would it be enough to help her overcome all her fears, doubts and anger?

Finally she pulled her car into the last place she thought she would go. It was the place her support group met. There was no meeting scheduled until much later in the evening. Still, something had brought her here. Sam slowly got out of her car and approached the old church. She snickered as she wondered why a lot of support groups seemed to meet in church basements. The smile quickly faded as she made her way into the all too familiar room.

There was the familiar antique giant coffee machine that made the worst tasting coffee no matter who brewed it. There were the endless stacks of Styrofoam cups, sugar packets and creamers. The only thing missing on the table was the usual cookies which were usually cheap store brand. One ate those cookies at the risk of breaking a tooth or two. The folding chairs were there as well, but they were neatly stacked against the back wall.

Voices invaded her head. Some said similar things to what she was feeling and experiencing. Others seemed to hide the pain behind lies, like she was so capable of. Sam covered her ears as it all became too much. She wished she was home and in the privacy of her bedroom so that she could inflict some pain upon herself. The physical pain took away from the mental so well. There was only one other option. And she was not going to turn to drugs.

At least she hoped she wasn't going to turn to drugs. Her life was complicated enough with cutting herself to release the stress and pain. She didn't need the added expense and fear of being arrested. After all, she was still paying on the last two business loans for her two failed restaurants. Sadly, she had left it to last minute to get insurance so she had still had to pay back the full amount of both loans. If she weren't living with her mother, she didn't know what she would do.

"Fancy running into you here." Sam whirled around at the familiar voice. Anger was instantly flowing through every fiber of her being. She couldn't believe Crystal was standing there, a smug look on her face. The smile quickly faded. It was as if a switch had been flipped inside of the younger Kane sister. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't say or do anything. I know what takes place in this room. And if it weren't for me, you'd not need it."

The anger was causing Sam to turn a dangerous shade of red. In fact, she was close to purple as she was attempting to restrain herself from hurting the younger woman like she hurt herself. "You have no idea what happened to me." The damn broke at that moment. The former chef was in Crystal's face. With every word, she was poking her in the chest. There would be bruising by the time she was done. "No one, not even Candy, went through what I did. And for what? What was your sick reason behind it all?"

Crystal swallowed. This was the kind of reaction she should expect from everyone. "I'm a sick woman that needs help." Though the words could be taken as condescending, they were actually quite true. "In fact, I've started to talk to a therapist about some of my issues. Not that it's going to change all the horrible things I've done in the past. But maybe, just maybe it can help me from doing something stupid in the future."

Sam backed away from her best friend's sister. Crystal was doing the exact same thing she was supposed to be doing. She eyed the younger woman, wondering if therapy was actually helping her. All she knew, it wasn't helping her. Or was it she wasn't allowing it to help her? Suddenly, she felt claustrophobic and the room was actually huge. It was like she was in a jail cell and needed to escape. "I hope it works for you. Bye."

If Crystal had not been quick to react, she would have found herself shoved into the doorframe. She stared after her sister's best friend, wondering if she'd said something to upset her or if the emotions that came with dealing with Jade were simply too much. She sighed heavily as she made her way into the room. Though Elizabeth had promised to free her from community service, it had not happened yet. Tonight was to be spent helping set up for the meeting and then helping with the food kitchen.

"You handled her well." Crystal spun around, her heart suddenly beating quadruple time as she realized who was speaking. Elizabeth was barely recognizable. Her hair was the shade of night while her eyes were brown. The glasses covering the eyes and the way she was dressed made her appear to be a school teacher or something as conservative. "I'm glad you've proven yourself. My friend and I have learned so much about Candy and Kathy. I think it's time you were rewarded."

Crystal swallowed at the thought. Even though she had technically been praised, she wondered if it weren't a way to have her let her guard down. Elizabeth made her way to the brown-haired young woman. The former detective reached into her pocket. Try as she might, Crystal could not help but flinch. To her dismay, Elizabeth grinned wickedly. "You are smart to be worried. For now, you truly are rewarded."

Elizabeth handed her an envelope and waited for her to open it. Crystal was slow and deliberate in her motions. Even the slightest wrong move could set the former detective off. While she was not happy with herself for her past, she wanted to live and make amends. Not everyone would believe those words. There were only five people that she needed, more than words could say, to believe she really was changing.

Finally the envelope was opened. Inside were official looking documents. Not a lawyer, Crystal still understood these were a release from her community service requirements. Even more, her parole had been ended. All she had to do was to give the paperwork to her parole officer and she would be free. What she owed Elizabeth for doing this, she would never be free. "Thanks. It'll make getting in better with Candy easier. In fact, Dad's sixtieth birthday is Sunday. I feel a party going on at the bookstore."

"You have the right idea. Everyone will be too preoccupied with you having a good time." Elizabeth handed her another, smaller envelope. The former detective waited until Crystal opened it. "You'll need to place one under her phone in her office. If you can get to her apartment, on the phone there. If not, just place it somewhere you think Candy spends a lot of time. My friend needs more than the layout of the store and apartment to complete his part of the mission."

There was a part, the stupid part, of Crystal that wanted to know who her friend was and what he was capable of. She knew what Elizabeth was capable of. Delivered on her doorstep had been the local paper, even though she didn't have a subscription. On the front cover was the story of a federal prisoner, female, being executed mob style. There was no doubt in her mind who the woman was. "Just let me know and I'll do my best to keep getting what you want."

Suddenly, Crystal felt the hands of the former detective all over her. She swallowed hard, hoping she wouldn't find it. When the dark head nodded in approval, she was able to continue breathing. "For a minute there, from the way you were talking, it was as if you were attempting to get information out of me." Elizabeth shoved the gun in Crystal's stomach with enough force to leave a bruise. She quickly pulled it away when they heard voices. "Remember, someone is watching you. Always. Now better be a good girl and finish your community service."

Crystal held her breath until Elizabeth's footfalls could no longer be heard. She was terrified of the woman. The device in her ear beeped. Quickly she pressed the button. The sounds of other people caught her attention. She was behind in getting the room ready for the meeting. At this point, she was lucky to be alive. Her thoughts were of Kathy, Candy and her father and how she hoped she'd get to see her father's sixtieth and beyond.

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The nurse was waiting patiently in the kitchen, watching his new employer pace back and forth. Justin had cleared his schedule so he could have this confrontation with his mother. It wasn't so much a confrontation as it was finally taking his life back. After years of cowering to his mother, allowing her beliefs to cloud his better judgment, it was time. It was time for so many reasons, the list was endless.

There was the fact he was thirty-five, going on thirty-six. There was the fact he had a wife and two children who counted on him, not only provide a way of living, but also a moral compass. As if his family wasn't enough, there was the final reason. It was, in some ways, selfish. As a recovering alcoholic, he needed to confront the things that had led to his addiction. He needed to, for once in his life, make a decision not worrying if his mother approved or not.

"I'm sorry. This isn't easy." Justin turned to the young man, young being a relative term. Gregory Watson was only about two or three years younger than he was. "My mother doesn't know we've hired you. She doesn't know you'll be helping her to return home. Call it the coward's way out, but I waited until the last moment." The brewery owner ran his hand through his sandy blond hair. It was partially from frustration and partially from embarrassment.

"I have a mother that can be…overbearing. Forgive me if that's not the situation here." With the smile on Justin's face, the nurse knew he had not overstepped. He was instantly relieved. The thought of offending anyone caused him to cringe. "We can do this one of two ways. We can both break the news to your mother or I can wait and help pick up the pieces after you have broken the news." Greg's soft smile gave Justin encouragement.

"There is one thing you should know." Justin was once again running his hand through his too long locks. They were too long, especially with the June temperatures. "It probably should have been said before. My mother is an alcoholic." Greg's dark eyebrow rose. Justin took him in, studying him for any kind of judgment. There was none. "She can't admit it and hides alcohol. She thinks we don't know. It's like a game. But it's a game I can't afford to lose. I'm a recovering alcoholic who owns a brewery and keeps some alcohol for guests."

Gregory understood. The tall man, even taller than Justin, nodded his head to show that he understood. While not being an alcoholic himself, he had spent some time in the program established for friends and family members of alcoholics. It was through the hospital that he had been encouraged to attend. He was happy he had as a few clients suffered from the affliction. "I understand, somewhat. I'll have to keep a close on eye her."

"Thanks." Justin eyed the door to the kitchen. Now was as good as any for him to inform his mother of his decision to force her back into her own home. "I better get this over with, before I lose my nerve." The young nurse could not help the laugh that escaped him. For a moment, Justin joined in. The laughter helped him relax, even if only slightly. "Here goes nothing." With his head held high, he made his way to the door to the stairs.

Justin paused for a moment. This was much more difficult than he had thought it would be. He forced himself to take one step at a time, ascending towards what he knew was going to be one hell of an argument. As he started to step on the landing, he paused. There was another reaction his mother could give him. What if she was cheerful? What if she easily accepted? To him, that would mean she was up to something.

But who would be her target? Since nothing Frances Scolari did was wrong, there had to be someone to blame. Would it be his father? Kathy? Candy? Or would she blame him since he was the one forcing her back to her own home? It didn't matter who was going to take the blame. The only reason he was wondering was so that he could prepare the girls or his father. The wrath of Franny could, and would, be felt by all.

It took a moment for him to begin taking the final steps to his mother's room. Justin paused once he was at the door. He closed his eyes and pictured his sister. For years, her indifference to the world had angered him. It wasn't until recently that he understood exactly what she had been dealing with. And now she was in a wheelchair. The courage and strength it took to keep getting out of bed and living, even with a girlfriend like Candy, was phenomenal.

Reaching out and gathering some of his sister's strength, Justin rapped lightly on the door. The muffled response told him, either his mother had been asleep, or she was faking once again. Not caring which it was, he opened the door. His mother stretched languidly. "Mother, we need to talk." The matriarch simply stared daggers at him. It was as if she knew why he was here. "I've hired a nurse. His name is Gregory Watson. He'll be helping you get settled in your own home."

"I see." Franny cautiously sat up. She cautiously swung her legs over the edge of the bed. Still cautiously, she reached for her cane and stood. The raven-haired woman never said anything more. Her movements were slow and deliberate as she made her way to the bathroom. Her movements continued to be just as frustratingly slow and deliberate as she dressed, not bothering to cover her nakedness from her son.

Justin quickly turned, embarrassed by his mother. And yet, he shouldn't be. The deliberateness and the nakedness were all to torture him. Instead of yelling, this time Franny had chosen to let her actions speak loudly. All they were doing was firming his resolved to get his mother the help she so desperately needed. The first step was to have Greg help her establish a moderation of independence. Next, he would take her to one of his meetings.

That was something he wasn't looking forward to. His sponsor would kill him. The motto of AA was to admit on your own that you needed help. While interventions were encouraged, bringing someone to a meeting against their wishes was frowned upon. Justin was out of options. He wanted so desperately to have his mother seek the help he had, he was willing to do anything. As she stood before him, giving him the evil eye, he now knew that meant letting go.

Not forever. He could never give up on his mother, not completely. It would be difficult to keep his distance for a few weeks. With the look on his mother's face, it wouldn't be so difficult for her. "I hope you understand, Mother. I've spoken several times to the doctor. He says the only way for you to get better is to begin physical therapy. Along with that, you need to start doing things on your own. I don't want to push, but I want to see you get better."

"Bullshit." Franny closed her eyes, cursing her momentary loss of control. She'd lost her control when Eddie had come to see her. She had lost her control when Irene had spoken to her. It was time she found her focus and control and never let them go. "What I mean is, you are tired of taking care of me. For this, I can't blame you. However, it's time I did move on. Just don't think I'll keep letting you come back into my life. Goodbye, Justin."

Justin was stunned by her words. He stood frozen in place. Normally being the Southern gentleman he'd been raised to be, he would have helped his mother to carry her bag down the stairs. Instead, he was rooted to the spot on the floor. He was almost afraid to move, even after hearing the struggle of his mother to make it down the stairs. The soft words spoken by Greg could not be understood. The snort from his mother could be.

As the voices were fading more, Justin forced his feet to move. Franny never even acknowledged him, even though she looked him right in the eyes for the longest of moments. The scared young boy that had been manipulated for years wanted to say something, begging for forgiveness. Even the grown man who was finally taking responsibility for his life wanted to reach out so that they would not leave under such difficult terms.

The silence spoke volumes. It grew as the door shut behind Greg. The nurse had given him a sad and understanding look before closing the door. Justin knew it was closing a door on yet another part of his past that was full of vices. Still, it didn't make it any easier. There was a pull to go to the fridge and down one of his special brews. Instead, he went to his car. He knew where he needed to be. If Amy and the children would have been home, he would have taken solace in them. There was only one other place he needed to be.

()()()()()()()()()()()()()()

Candy had had enough. The past three days had gotten out of hand. It was bad enough Kathy had been forced to schedule her therapy closer to the evenings instead of morning leaving them no time for their discussion, Michael had continued to stalk her at her business. The instructor really was that stupid or egotistical that he couldn't handle when the bookstore owner told him 'no' in every possible way imaginable.

It was time to end Michael's stalking. If everything went well, she would be able to claim her certification and then receive her class M driver's license. The only obstacle was using Kathy's cherished motorcycle to do that. There was the possibility Candy could purchase one for herself, but she wasn't sure she was ready for that step. All she wanted was to share in the freedom of the open road with her soulmate once again.

"Candy!" The slightly overweight, always jovial woman stood when she heard the bell over the door announce the bookstore owner's entry. She pulled Candy into a hug. It was a good thing the petite blonde was a hugger. Every time she saw the older woman, she was brought in for at least one hug, if not more. "I thought your last lessen was a few days ago. Your payment cleared. So what brings you in here to see me?"

The two stood, parted by only a foot or so. Though Candy was a confident woman, telling a mother his son was bordering on being a stalker was not an easy thing to do. "I'm afraid I have to discuss Michael with you." Both slightly greying eyes rose to equally greying bangs. The hair at one time had been a light brown. Now it was hard to tell. The normal twinkle in the grey eyes vanished. "He's come to my place of business, which also happens to be my home, and attempted to court me. I guess that would be the best way of putting it."

Teresa snorted. "You mean he has kept begging you to go out with him. He probably acts as if you are already dating." Candy's shocked expression was all the answer the older woman needed. She sighed heavily and leaned against her desk. "This isn't the first time he's become obsessed with one of the female students. I keep threatening to fire him. He thinks I can't do any of this without him." She shook her head. "I'll have to have a chat with him."

Before Candy could thank her, the older woman continued. "I'm glad you stopped by. I was about to mail this out to you." Teresa pushed off from her desk and rummaged through one of the many file cabinets lining the wall behind her desk. She handed the oversized envelope to her former client. "And about my son, I'll have his father have a chat with him if need be. Just because his father and I aren't on the best of speaking terms doesn't mean he can't help raise his son. Even if his son is technically raised."

The comment earned a soft chuckle to escape the petite blonde. It made Candy feel better. She had dreaded making Michael look bad to his mother. But she was at her wits end. And with the little time she and Kathy had to spend together, the pungent smell of her former instructor's cologne clung to her body as if she'd startled a skunk and the putrid smell had clung to her. "I'd appreciate it." After opening the envelope, she smiled. "And I appreciate this. It was a lot of hard work and stressful on my relationship."

"Relationship?" Teresa was surprised by the admission of a relationship. Her son's obsession was bothersome enough had Candy been single, but she was seeing someone? "Does my son know you are seeing someone?" A simple nod was confirmation. "Well. That changes things. Now I'm really disappointed in Michael. And I'll definitely have a nice long chat with that boy of mine. Don't you worry anymore. Go spend time with your boyfriend."

Candy wanted to correct her. Sometimes it was easier for people to want to believe what they wanted. She was proud of her relationship with Kathy. And yet, there were times when not sharing the gender of her significant other was for the best. "I intend to. We're going to a special spot. It'll be just the two of us." The bookstore owner thought about that for a moment. "Actually three of us." At the raised eyebrow, she continued. "We have a dog that'll be joining us."

They both laughed. Candy reiterated her thanks prior to walking out the door. She was glad when her stalker was nowhere in sight. After the incident with Jade, she was more cautious. Not an expert by any means, still she tried to determine if anyone was following her or not. There was a set of eyes on the petite blonde. It wasn't a set she expected. But it was a set that could either cause trouble or head it off at the pass.

It wasn't long before Candy was pulling into the medical building parking lot. The building was attached to the hospital. It was where the general practice, specialist and the physical therapists resided. There was also a wing that included mental health professionals. Sometimes, Candy wondered if she and Kathy shouldn't look into therapy. They were doing all right on their own, so far. But they'd almost had a major undoing because of Michael.

It didn't take long to navigate the hallways to find herself in the physical therapy room. Kathy had been seatbelted onto the stationary bike. It was the least favorite of the activities the former firefighter had to endure. The long legs were slowly pushed into motion as the raven-haired woman grasped the handle grips. The grips moved in time with her legs. It gave her a thorough workout. Most importantly, it strengthened her legs so that walking would one day be possible.

Candy knew it was more than merely strengthening and conditioning. The key to Kathy walking again was the continued reawakening of the nerves that allowed muscle control. There were some days that were better than others. The neurosurgeon had explained that the swelling was continuing to dissipate in general. But with each day, there was a chance of the swelling flaring up. He was of the mindset that one day, there would be no more swelling.

This was all contingent on Kathy continuing to do her exercises as instructed. It wasn't like body building where repetitive and extreme weights were a good thing. This was about her muscles learning what was expected of them again. It was about her mind learning to use what she had been born with. Candy often caught her soulmate attempting to do more exercises than she had been given. Stubborn was a good way to describe the former firefighter.

The sweat dripping down the lithe body caused an ache that was nearly constant now for Candy. It wasn't like her libido was out of control. It was more a mental ache. Yes her neither region was on fire watching her sexy firefighter. But what she missed was the intimacy simply waking up in bed together after a night of lovemaking. Or bathing together. Or anything that caused physical contact. The loss of that was doing a number on her mind.

A smile graced Kathy's lips the moment azure eyes met emerald ones. Candy returned the smile, but kept her distance. She knew the former firefighter needed to concentrate. Elvis was watching her closely. Of that, she was grateful. Her gaze left her soulmate's so she could take in the time. If everything went as planned, they would be alone in a special place in about an hour. Where that was, the bookstore owner still wasn't certain of.

All she was certain of was the fact they had to stop by the apartment, bathe the sweaty firefighter and then retrieve Rocket. The young Dalmatian had not been on many rides as of late, other than to go to one of the dog parks. He was always bursting with energy. Since Kathy had to be careful of her injured back, not only did she have to be careful with her niece and nephew, she had to be careful with her puppy as well.

The constant reminders that she had lost out on something so essentially a part of her was making her recovery mentally more difficult. Still, Kathy knew she had a bundle of petite blonde that would never leave her side. Only if she was asked to leave would Candy ever not be at her soulmate's side. After everything they had been through, that was as unlikely as seeing snow in the part of Georgia they resided in. Nearly zero.

Elvis' voice startled Candy out of her thoughts. She was quickly by her lover's side, helping her to unstrap from the machine. Between the head therapist and his assistant, they helped Kathy to 'walk' to her wheelchair. The movements were becoming more natural. Though weight still could not be fully supported on long legs, it was clear the strength and feeling was slowly returning. It was not wishful thinking anymore. It was happening.

"Time to get you home so you can clean up. Then you'll have to tell me where to take you." Kathy smiled at her girlfriend. A part of the firefighter wanted to comment that Candy could take her anywhere. It had taken some time, but the raven-haired woman had learned about sex talk. This was another example of how far she had come since meeting her soulmate. "Thanks, Guys. Appreciate the help you are giving Kathy in making a full recovery."

Both men blushed before turning away. They'd had the conversation before. It might be a part of their jobs, but Candy knew it was more than that. When it came to her sweet firefighter, these two men had taken a liking to her. While friendships occasionally were formed between therapist and client, it had been different from the beginning. Was it the determination Kathy showed? Was it the outer beauty? Was it the inner beauty?

Whatever the reason, Candy was grateful the people taking care of Kathy's body were just as concerned with her mind as well. They never made her promises. They always told her the truth. And while they allowed her to push herself, they set limits. It was truly a wonderful relationship they had formed over the past few months. "Let's get out of here." Kathy was ready to get the sweat washed off from her body. She was also more than ready to have 'the talk' with her Sweet Candy.

The drive across town was made in relative silence. Kathy was content in the silence since her hand was on her soulmate's leg. For a moment, she closed her eyes. Images began flashing through her mind. It was a scene Candy had once described to her. There was unfamiliar music, but there was a familiar face. It wasn't her Sweet Candy singing and yet it was. She took in how she was dressed and felt the short, masculine haircut she sported.

In that instant, whether it was her small amount of exhaustion or the heat of the sun beating down on her, she found herself lost in the unfamiliar yet familiar scene. The sparkling light reflecting from the mirrored ball surprised her and caused her for a moment to take her eyes from the stage as the Candy lookalike performed. She took in the interior of the place. It was well-constructed. Instinct told her there were many hidden placed throughout the bar.

Kathy was so caught up in the music, the scents and the sensations; she never heard the sweet voice calling her name. When the alternative her, dressed in a tuxedo, stared into emerald eyes that were so like Candy's, she could not breathe. It was as if the firefighter was really in this place. It was as if she had been transported in time. Had she been transported or was she seeing something that had really happened, in another time another place?

"Hey." The gentle squeezing of her hand brought her away from the luring place she had found herself in. As she looked into sparkling emerald green eyes, Kathy realized they'd been together before. There was a happiness in that time she never thought she was capable of feeling. At least not until a routine call to a routine fire took place. That day forever changed the firefighter. "You sure you're up to going wherever it is we are going?"

Kathy saw the look in her soulmate's eyes. She was worried. But there was no longer questioning in those eyes. Though they still needed to talk about what they were both going through emotionally, the look of questioning was gone in Candy's eyes. That had been the most difficult thing to see. It wasn't so much her girlfriend questioning their love for one another. That went without saying. It was questioning whether they could get through all the obstacles life had placed in their way.

"I'm tired, I'll admit that." Kathy pushed a sweaty lock behind her ear. "But I want to do this tonight. I want to clear the air of everything, before something else comes up. Justin is basically kicking Mom out today. He wants to have dinner on Saturday, the entire family minus Mom I suspect." The words were going on. It was so unlike the normally stoic firefighter. "And we have your father's birthday on Sunday. That means having more interaction with Crystal."

Before Candy could say anything, the firefighter continued. "I know I'm not one for words and have probably used up my quotient for the remainder of the year, but I have more to say." She looked deeply into those hypnotic eyes. Ones that looked into her soul. Ones that saw beyond the pain. Ones that saw beyond the scars on her body. Ones that saw beyond her shortcomings and only saw the goodness and love.

"I admit I was jealous when I smelled the strange cologne on you." Once again, Kathy was quicker at speaking than Candy for a change. "I know, this is something we'll talk about later. It's just that I had to discuss it with Amy." Instead of judgment, all she saw was understanding. "You know I'm not used to relationships or being in love. I'm not even used to knowing the difference between emotions. So when I was…jealous…I needed someone. Is it all right I'm talking to Amy about all these things?"

"It's more than all right." Candy had been right in one way. They both needed someone to talk to. True, they had one another. But sometimes, when it was too close to both of them, they needed fresh eyes. In Kathy's case it was her sister-in-law she turned to. In Candy's, she would normally turn to Sam. But her best friend had too much to deal with. So it was Aunt Irene who helped her sort through things. "We all need to bounce things off someone. And while I want you always to come to me, sometimes when it involves me you need someone a bit more neutral."

Azure eyes closed for a moment in thought. Kathy was grateful each and every day for the love and support she had from Candy. While there were times when the firefighter still reverted to the emotionless person she had been before they met, it was out of fear. Fear that no matter how hard she pushed herself, she wouldn't be able to fully recover. Yes the doctors kept giving them positive feedback. But there were no guarantees in life.

"I think it's time we get you cleaned up. We have more emotional things to hash out. I bet you'd feel a lot better if you got those sweat drenched clothes off from you." Candy could not help but perusing the body of her girlfriend. Just one passing glance confirmed how ready her body was to touch and taste the body glistening slightly. It took a moment for her to extricate herself from the car. "Sorry. I, um, was thinking."

Kathy knew what that meant. She waited patiently as Candy retrieved her mode of transportation. One thing she had noticed. While she had always had great upper body strength, that had increased since having to get around in the wheelchair. It also came from lifting herself in and out of the wheelchair. While her soulmate wanted to help, she didn't quite have the strength it took to lift her. She could assist, but it was really up to the firefighter.

The dark-haired woman had just gotten settled in the wheelchair when what appeared to be a man came up to them. Though it was the end of June, the figure had a ski mask on. Kathy instantly placed herself between Candy and the stranger. The bookstore owner had her hand in her front pocket. The man pulled the gun, as both expected. "Don't do anything stupid. I'm not here to rob you or harm you. I'm just here to give you a message."

The darkly dressed figure tossed a newspaper onto Kathy's lap. She barely let her eyes leave the stranger holding a gun on them. The former firefighter was taking her time in unrolling the newspaper. There were cameras in the garage they used. There were cameras pointed in the back alley as well as the back entrance. While not monitored twenty-four seven, she still hoped someone might glance at them and call the police.

It took only a moment to find the highlighted article on the front page. After taking in what it said, Kathy handed it to her soulmate while she kept a closer eye on the man. This seemed very dramatic simply to inform them that Jade was dead. While not many would shed a tear over the death of Candy's ex, there were other repercussions. After all, who had taken out a federally protected prisoner? That had mob or someone with power or at least connections in high or low places, depending on how one looked at it.

Candy gasped when she realized what the article was in reference to. She rolled the newspaper once again, hoping to turn it over to the police. If who she thought was behind this, it wouldn't do any good. That person would know how the police and the crime lab worked. It would be nearly impossible to find any evidence against her. Still, it would show that there was someone after them. It was something they had both feared, but couldn't prove.

Now they would have the newspaper. Now they would have the surveillance tapes to corroborate their statements. "I'm just going to leave. No one is going to call the police. No one is going to get hurt." The man began backing away from the couple. The back door to the apartment opened at that moment. Simply reacting, the man turned and fired. A curse that could wake the dead escaped the man as he ran towards the main road.

The bookstore owner ran ahead of Kathy who was maneuvering her wheelchair one-handed as she dialed nine-one-one with the other. Candy knelt on the ground. There was more blood than she liked to see. Josh coughed and he spit up some blood. The bullet wound was in the stomach and it looked bad. Candy took off her shirt, as did Kathy. It left them both in nothing but their bras, but the life hanging in the balance was all they could think of. Emerald eyes met azure. While they had so many emotional issues to deal with, this was now personal. One way or another, they would find a way to take down who did this.


End file.
